Charlene
Charlene, also spelled Charleen and Charlyne, is a feminine given name, a feminine form of Charles coined in the United States in the nineteenth century; from French Charles, from Old French Charles & Carles, from the Latin Carolus, from and also reinfluenced by Old High German Karl, from the Proto-Germanic *karlaz ; compare the Old English word churl and the Old German Kerl.
Meaning & Origin of Charlene
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Charlene, also spelled Charleen and Charlyne, is a feminine given name, a feminine form of Charles coined in the United States in the nineteenth century; from French Charles, from Old French Charles & Carles, from the Latin Carolus, from and also reinfluenced by Old High German Karl, from the Proto-Germanic *karlaz ; compare the Old English word churl and the Old German Kerl.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Charlene
Charlene first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1888, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1952, when 3,546 Charlenes were born — ranking #106 that year. As of 2026, Charlene ranks #1,853 for baby girls with 108 births, gradually falling (-11%). In total, more than 134K Charlenes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Charlene
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Charlene, Princess of Monaco (née Wittstock, born 1978), South African swimmer and wife of Albert II, Prince of Monaco
- Charlene Almarvez (born 1993), Filipina fashion model from Laguna
- Charlene Attard (born 1987), track and field sprint athlete
- Charleen Badman , American chef and restaurateur
- Charlene Barshefsky (born 1950), United States Trade Representative from 1997 to 2001
- Charlyne Brumskine , Liberian politician
- Charlene Carr , Canadian writer
- Charlene Carruthers , American activist and author
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Charlene
Phonetically similar names — useful when Charlene is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Charlene
What does the name Charlene mean?
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About the name Charlene
Charlene is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1888 and has accumulated 134K births in the dataset. Charlene's peak popularity came in 1952 when it ranked #100. Use the chart and map above to compare Charlene's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1952 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.