# Charles (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/charles/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 61,211 |
| US rank (2010) | 548 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 5,044 people |
| Change since 2000 | +19% (51,518 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /t͡ʃɑɹlz/, 1 syllable |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

From French Charles, from Old French Charles, Carles, from Latin Carolus, from and also reinfluenced by Frankish and Old High German Karl, from Proto-Germanic *karilaz (“free man”); compare the English word churl and the German Kerl. In reference to the Ecuadorian island, a clipping of the original name King Charles's Island, granted in honor of Charles II of England.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Charles in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 34% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 53% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7.9% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 2.1% |
| Two or more races | 2.4% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Charles in the United States, the United Kingdom, Antigua and Barbuda and Australia.

## People named Charles

- Josh Charles, American actor
- Tina Charles, American basketball player (born 1988)
- Ezzard Charles, American boxer (1921–1975)
- Max Charles, American actor (born 2003)
- Annette Charles, American actress
- Larry Charles, American television writer, director and producer
- Gaius Charles, American actor
- Bobby Charles, American singer-songwriter
- Daedra Charles, American basketball player (1968–2018)
- Teddy Charles, American jazz musician and composer (1928–2012)
- Howard Charles, British actor
- Craig Charles, British actor (born 1964)

and 13 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Carlson, Carlisle, Carlos, Corrales, Carlsen, Charleston, Charlesworth, Carolus, Corales, Corliss, Carlock, Carlucci.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.