Charley

Charley - A very unique male name

Charley appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #166. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Charley and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Charley? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Charley. The baby boy name Charley was given to 33 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2019 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 44,433 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Charley peaked in popularity 116 years ago in 1910 on position 166.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Charley, 1-5?

Charley is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Charley is currently topping the baby name charts in Louisiana at position #797 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,250.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Charley is where you live.

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Charley origin and meaning

Short form / spelling of Charlie — from Charles

A spelling of Charlie, the diminutive of Charles, from Germanic karl, 'free man'

Charley with an -ey was the standard boys' spelling a century ago, peaking in 1920, before Charlie took over. It now survives as the vintage-leaning variant.

Attested etymology

Charley is a 7 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Charley, pop culture references for the name Charley and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Charley

We've found the following names that sound similar to Charley, sorted by popularity.

Carl / Charlie / Carroll / Carlo / Cyril / Carol / Carrol / Curley / Carlyle / Charly /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Charley

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Charley a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Charley?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

CHAR-lee · /ˈtʃɑːrli/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Charlie — The now-standard spelling of the same diminutive.
• Charles — The full name behind both.

Famous bearers

• Charley Pride — American country music star, the genre's first Black superstar (1934–2020) Contemporary

Style

ClassicNickname name

Why parents choose it

Charley with an ey has an old-soul, storybook feel that Charlie's ubiquity has worn smooth.

Worth knowing

• Charlie outsells this spelling many times over; expect constant respelling to the -ie form.