He’s among the most fashionable of classics.
Thanks to Alicia and Melissa for suggesting Charles as Name of the Day.
Worn by ten kings of France, four kings of Spain, two kings of England, one king of Portugal and Hungary each, as well as Holy Roman Emperors and a host of powerful aristocrats from the eighth century into the present day, it is hard to call Charles anything but an enduring classic.
But even classics have their eras. Their rankings may not show a significant change, but their images certainly do. Henry has switched from egghead to hipster. And thanks to a certain vampire, Edward is now more romantic hero than Rotarian.
In Charles’ case, he was once a perennial Top Ten pick, ranking amongst the most common names for boys born in the US from 1880 right through 1954. As of 2008, Charles ranked #63 – still far from uncommon.
But read the birth announcements for the fashionable and Charles is there in force. Jodie Foster has a son called Charles. So does Russell Crowe.
Crowe’s kiddo answers to Charlie, and that’s the nickname of the moment. But if Charlie isn’t for you – or if the rise in girls called Charlie has you vexed, there’s always Chuck, Chaz and – okay, it’s a stretch – Chase. As for variants, Carlos ranked #73 in 2008, Carl charted at #490 and Carlo came in at #922.
In the US, Charlie as an independent name has always been an also-ran to Charles, coming in at a distant #307 in 2008.
Not so elsewhere in the English speaking world. Charlie sits in England’s Top Ten, keeping company with the equally informal Alfie and Jack.
His origins are sometimes linked to Old English ceorl – meaning free man – and more often tied to the Germanic karl – once again, with a similar meaning. While the Old English word was in use, and surfaces in place names like Carlton, it does not seem to have been a personal name.
The earliest Charles recorded may have been Charles Martel, the leader of the Franks in the early 700s, known for fending off a Muslim invasion. He was grandfather to Charlemagne – Charles the Great – who ruled at the turn of the ninth century. The name caught on, and centuries later, trend-setting Mary, Queen of Scots, came of age at the French court and eventually brought the name across the Channel.
Mary’s son James Charles became James I of England; his son became Charles I. Charles’ rule ended in his execution, but his son, Charles II, eventually took the throne.
From the seventeenth century Restoration onward, there’s a lengthy list of notable Charles, including:
- Charles Darwin;
- Charles Dickens and Charles Bukowski;
- Charles de Gaulle – a statesman before he was an airport;
- Charlie Brown’s creator, Charles Schulz, as well as Charles Addams and Looney Tunes’ Chuck Jones;
- Actor Charlie Chaplin;
- Athlete Charles Barkley;
- Architect Charles Eames and Le Corbusier, born Charles-Edouard Jeanerret;
- Flyboys Charles Lindbergh and Chuck Yeager;
- Roald Dahl’s immortal Charlie and the Chocolate Factory;
- Charles Ryder from Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited;
- On TV, there’s Gossip Girls’ Chuck Bass and The Rugrats’ Chuckie Finster;
- Sinister dolly/serial killer Chucky has appeared in five Child’s Play movies.
I’m overlooking dozens of noteworthy Charles, including a half dozen saints, and that’s without considering the many men called Carl, Karl (think Marx), even Karol (as in the birth name of Pope John Paul II).
And that’s the strength of Charles. He’s quietly current and will suit your son no matter what passions he pursues. It’s a versatile, enduring choice.
In a magazine, just spotted a Charles from SC that goes by Cholly. Never saw that one before, but kind of like it… just thought I’d share.
Rufus will always be a dog’s name to me 🙂
On Never Been Kissed, it was a synonym for “awesome.” 😀
Besides the fact that it doesn’t work with my husband’s surname, I’ve known too many dogs named Charlie and Chuck to ever consider Charles for a baby. Even the name Carl (which is a family name I love) has gone to the dogs.
It amusing how many “old-fashioned & pompous” boy’s names go to the dogs and then we reconsider them for our children: Maxwell, Oscar, Rufus, Winston, Samson, Oliver…
I get the same vibe from Charles as many of you – snooty, pompous and stiff. (Yet I love all the other “royal” names! Weird.) Charlie is super cute, but personally I won’t be using it, as it is way too popular, informal and currently appearing on far too many females for my liking. So, no. No Charles or Charlie for me.
Charles is my Father in Law’s name. He goes by Chuck – which took me awhile to get used to, as I thought of it as a generic term of endearment, like “dear”.
I like Charlotte and thought that would be a nice nod in his direction, but we didn’t end up using that name.
I love Henry and like William. Edward is good too. Charles doesn’t do it for me so much. I guess I have the ‘snooty vibe’ from it, perhaps from the current Prince Charles.
Charlie is cute but I dislike that it’s becoming a girl’s name too. So I’d be hesitant to use it for that reason.
Other Charlies include Charlie Sheen, born Carlos Estevez, plus Carlos Santana, Carlos Mencia, Charlton Heston and Carlo Ponti (Sophia Loren’s husband). I think also of the wildly popular YouTube video for “Charlie Bit My Finger.”
Thank you! How could I leave them off the list?
You said there were too many to name! I just added the first ones that I thought of, and Charlie Sheen immediately made me think of other Carloses and Carlos. Spring Break-ers may think of Carlos N Charlie’s!
Charles is a favorite of mine, but William is probably my favorite royal name. I love the nn Charlie for Charles or Charlotte, but I also like Chick for a guy. The musical My Sister Eileen had a debonair reporter named Chick. Very retro. I met a Chick in real life once, and I didn’t understand his nickname until he explained that it’s similar to Chuck.
I totally concur with Urban Angel, I want to love Charles but I just can
perfectly said!
I know a pair of toddlers, both called Charlie, so I guess I can’t help but love it. They’re both family names, and I can’t imagine either set of parents putting just Charlie on the birth certificate.
But I know what you mean about Charles – though I was remembering that Hugh Grant’s break-out role was as a rather handsome, though upper-crust Charles in Four Weddings and a Funeral … not sure that helps …
Who doesn’t love Charles? When I lived in Australia, people began to call me Charles. It’s not exactly a moniker I would have chosen for myself, but it was fun at the time. Now, if Mark and I ever have a boy, we’re going to go with Charles Marcus for his middle names.
I love Charles as a nn for Charlotte! It’s like Jules for Julia or Julian.
I like Charles. As for as “royal” or classic names go, I prefer Henry or Edward, but Charles is nice. It has a lot of nice nicknames (I prefer Chaz), and it one that will still sound good on a grown man. I would use Charles for a middle name for sure.
Love Charles! It has the -ar- sound in it that apparently draws me in with boy names. But beyond that, it is a great name. It is also my dad’s name, so it’s a no-go for me. But Charles is timeless and while the full name is fairly dignified, the nns are fabulously everyman. Charlie is my favorite nn, but Chaz is also a good one. I actually went to grad school with a guy who was Chaz – full name. I’m not a fan of Chase or Chuck – they are OK, but maybe too verby for me. And I’m currently caring for a 2 year old with a stomach virus, so the Chuck option is especially unappealing right now!
Charles is timeless,sophisticated & handsome. It’s name perfect. I WANT to love it, I really, really do – I just can’t. I’ve tried. It’s just so pompous & snooty. also don’t really like other royal names like Henry, Edward etc (though I have a soft spot for Henri). I have these weird connotations for royal names & most of them just reek with pompous vibes, for me
I LOVE Charlie passionately, I like Prince Charles for Pete’s sake & I even like Chaz (Queen of Babble series by Meg Cabot has a Chaz in it).Oh well, I do love Charlotte, so maybe I end up with a daughter Charlotte & can call her Charlie or I’ll end up with a dog named Charlie. I do LOVE Charlie, I just have this block where I think nickname & not first name even though it’s very popular globally as a first
Overall, I applaud Charles with all of his merits & can understand the appeal, but it’s not for me.Oh, and Chuck is a brand of dog food here, so I couldn’t use Chuck