The first name Charlene
A girl’s name.
Pronounced /ʃɑɹˈlin/ 2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
A feminine form of Charles coined in the nineteenth century. Compare Marlene, Helene and Magdalene for the suffix.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 12 girls were named Charlene, making it the 2,278th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 78 births (#410).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Charlene with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Charlene at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 99 girls born in the United States were named Charlene, the 1,948th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1952, when 3,546 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.
Charlene in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Charlene in Portuguese too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Charlene
15 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Charlene TiltonAmerican actress, born 1958
- Charlène GuignardFrench-Italian ice dancer, born 1989
- Charlene HoltAmerican actress (1928–1996)
- CharleneAmerican singer, born 1950
- Charlene de Carvalho-HeinekenBritish+Dutch businesswoman, heiress (Heineken International) and billionaire, born 1954
- Charlene GonzalesBinibining Pilipinas 1994, Top 6 at Miss Universe 1994
- Charlene MorettField hockey player and coach, born 1957
- Charlene AmoiaAmerican actress (born 1982)
- Charlene MitchellAmerican politician, 1930–2022
- Charlene BarshefskyAmerican trade representative, born 1950
- Charlene RendinaAustralian athlete, born 1947
- Charlene CarruthersBlack queer feminist activist, born 1985
Questions
- What does the name Charlene mean?
- A feminine form of Charles coined in the nineteenth century. Compare Marlene, Helene and Magdalene for the suffix.
- How popular is the name Charlene?
- In 2025, 12 girls born in England and Wales were named Charlene, ranking 2,278th. Its peak was 1996, with 78 births.
- What are nicknames for Charlene?
- Common nicknames for Charlene include Charlie.
- Is Charlene a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 134,111 US babies named Charlene since 1880 were girls.
- When was Charlene most popular?
- 1952 in the United States, when 3,546 babies were named Charlene, its highest rank at 106th.
- How do you pronounce Charlene?
- Charlene is /ʃɑɹˈlin/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Charlene?
- Sharlene, Charlyne, Charleen, Charlayne, Charlaine and Charlena.