The first name Charity
A girl’s name.
3 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
From charity in the Biblical sense of Christian love; first used by Puritans. In early Christian tradition, Faith, Hope and Charity were the martyred daughters of Saint Sophia. The names, taken from 1 Corinthians 13:13 ("And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity") have been translated and used in many languages. The name of the sura (chapter) is one of several translations of the original Arabic.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 3 girls were named Charity, making it the 5,927th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2001, with 22 births (#962).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Charity with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Charity at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 97 girls born in the United States were named Charity, the 1,981st most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1975, when 1,420 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Charity in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Charity
Famous people named Charity
3 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Charity WakefieldBritish actress, born 1980
- Charity WilliamsCanadian rugby sevens player, born 1996
- Nicole MatthewsCanadian professional wrestler, born 1987
Questions
- What does the name Charity mean?
- From charity in the Biblical sense of Christian love; first used by Puritans. In early Christian tradition, Faith, Hope and Charity were the martyred daughters of Saint Sophia. The names, taken from 1 Corinthians 13:13 ("And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but…
- How popular is the name Charity?
- In 2025, 3 girls born in England and Wales were named Charity, ranking 5,927th. Its peak was 2001, with 22 births.
- What are nicknames for Charity?
- Common nicknames for Charity include Cherry.
- Is Charity a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 35,557 US babies named Charity since 1880 were girls.
- When was Charity most popular?
- 1975 in the United States, when 1,420 babies were named Charity, its highest rank at 183rd.
- Is Charity also a surname?
- Yes. Charity is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.