The first name Charlotte
A girl’s name from French.
Pronounced /ˈʃɑɹ.lət/ 2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
French origin
From French Charlotte in the 17th century, a female diminutive form of Charles, from Middle High German Karl, which came from the Germanic *karlaz. The civil parish is named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744-1818). Coined by British-Dutch surveyor Samuel Holland.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 1,339 girls were named Charlotte, making it the 25th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 5,866 births (#7).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Charlotte with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Charlotte at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 13,400 girls born in the United States were named Charlotte, the 2nd most popular girls’ name that year.
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.
Charlotte in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Charlotte in Danish, Dutch, French, German and Norwegian too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Charlotte
249 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Charlotte BrontëBritish novelist and poet (1816-1855)
- Charlotte RamplingBritish actress (born 1946)
- Princess Charlotte of WalesDaughter of William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, born 2015
- Charlotte GainsbourgFrench and British actress and singer (born 1971)
- Charlotte Perkins GilmanAmerican feminist, writer, artist, and lecturer (1860–1935)
- Charlotte CordayFigure of the French Revolution (1768-1793)
- Charlotte of BelgiumEmpress consort of Mexico (1863-1867)
- Princess Charlotte Augusta of WalesBritish princess (1796-1817); only child of George, Prince of Wales (later King George IV)
- Princess Charlotte of PrussiaDuchess consort of Saxe-Meiningen (1860–1919)
- Charlotte of SavoyFrench queen (1441-1483)
- Charlotte FlairAmerican professional wrestler and actress, born 1986
- Charlotte CooperEnglish tennis player, 1870–1966
More French girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Charlotte mean?
- From French Charlotte in the 17th century, a female diminutive form of Charles, from Middle High German Karl, which came from the Germanic *karlaz. The civil parish is named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744-1818). Coined by British-Dutch surveyor Samuel Holland.
- What is the origin of the name Charlotte?
- From French Charlotte in the 17th century, a female diminutive form of Charles, from Middle High German Karl, which came from the Germanic *karlaz. The civil parish is named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744-1818). Coined by British-Dutch surveyor Samuel Holland.
- How popular is the name Charlotte?
- In 2025, 1,339 girls born in England and Wales were named Charlotte, ranking 25th. Its peak was 1996, with 5,866 births.
- What are nicknames for Charlotte?
- Common nicknames for Charlotte include Charlie, Lottie, Lotte, Chaz, Chazza, Cha.
- Is Charlotte a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 454,204 US babies named Charlotte since 1880 were girls.
- When was Charlotte most popular?
- 2025 in the United States, when 13,400 babies were named Charlotte, its highest rank at 2nd.
- How do you pronounce Charlotte?
- Charlotte is /ˈʃɑɹ.lət/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Charlotte?
- Charlotta.