Charly
Charly is an English unisex given name and nickname that is a diminutive form of Charles.
Meaning & Origin of Charly
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Charly is an English unisex given name and nickname that is a diminutive form of Charles.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Charly
As a girl name
Charly first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1975, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2014, when 109 Charlys were born — ranking #1,853 that year. As of 2026, Charly ranks #2,401 for girls with 75 births, holding steady (+4%). In total, more than 3K Charlys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Charly first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1884, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2004, when 58 Charlys were born — ranking #2,051 that year. As of 2026, Charly ranks #3,111 for boys with 39 births, rising sharply (+35% over the past five years). In total, more than 1K Charlys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Charly
Phonetically similar names — useful when Charly 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 Charly
What does the name Charly mean?
How popular is Charly in 2026?
When was Charly most popular?
In which U.S. states is Charly most popular?
Is Charly a unisex name?
What names go well with Charly?
About the name Charly
Charly is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1975 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Charly's peak popularity came in 2014 when it ranked #1,838. Use the chart and map above to compare Charly's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2014 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.