Fun Facts About the Name Charleston
- More than 3 thousand babies named Charleston: U.S. records list 3,813 babies given the name Charleston from 1880 through 2025. Of these, 1,305 girls received the name Charleston - about 1 girl for every 2 boys.
What Does the Name Charleston Mean?
Charleston is an English habitational surname and place name. One common explanation is "Charles's town" or "settlement of Charles," from the personal name Charles plus Old English tūn, "enclosure, settlement, town." Charles goes back to the Germanic name Karl, meaning "man" or "free man," which entered English through Latin Carolus and French. Another explanation applies to older British places called Charleston: their first element may be the Old English personal name Ceorl, meaning "freeman" or "peasant," combined with tūn. In that case the name means "Ceorl's settlement." The American city of Charleston, South Carolina, was named for King Charles II, so its name has the "Charles's town" sense. The surname and the city therefore preserve different derivations, and the given name can reflect either one.
Charleston Name History & Origins
Charleston is found as a surname in Britain, where it is a habitational name from places called Charleston. A place called Charleston exists in Angus, Scotland, and other places with the name are found in Britain. The older British place name is generally derived from the Old English personal name Ceorl and the settlement element tūn, so the surname's earliest sense is likely "Ceorl's settlement." The surname was later carried to North America.
The city of Charleston, South Carolina, was founded in 1670 and first called Charles Town in honor of King Charles II. The form Charleston developed from that name. As a first name, Charleston is a transferred use of the surname or the city name. The Charleston dance of the 1920s took its name from the city, not from the surname, and that association belongs to the city's history rather than to the personal name's etymology.
How Popular is the Name Charleston?
Charleston has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2015. Its best rank was #1,042 in 2015.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,261 | 48 | 0.0030% |
| 2024 | #3,394 | 46 | 0.0029% |
| 2023 | #3,435 | 46 | 0.0029% |
| 2022 | #2,702 | 64 | 0.0039% |
| 2021 | #2,561 | 68 | 0.0041% |
| 2020 | #2,633 | 64 | 0.0040% |
| 2019 | #2,131 | 88 | 0.0052% |
| 2018 | #2,064 | 94 | 0.0055% |
| 2017 | #1,993 | 99 | 0.0057% |
| 2016 | #1,473 | 156 | 0.0088% |
| 2015 | #1,042 | 255 | 0.0143% |
| 2014 | #3,731 | 41 | 0.0023% |
| 2013 | #5,687 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 2012 | #5,286 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 2011 | #6,389 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2010 | #6,707 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2009 | #6,868 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2008 | #10,231 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2007 | #5,941 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2006 | #6,641 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2005 | #12,054 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #9,387 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2003 | #10,606 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #9,638 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2001 | #8,887 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2000 | #15,501 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #12,996 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #9,422 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1997 | #11,074 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,003 | 41 | 0.0024% |
| 2024 | #2,791 | 46 | 0.0027% |
| 2023 | #3,803 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 2022 | #2,876 | 44 | 0.0025% |
| 2021 | #2,466 | 54 | 0.0031% |
| 2020 | #2,325 | 58 | 0.0034% |
| 2019 | #2,062 | 70 | 0.0039% |
| 2018 | #2,305 | 58 | 0.0032% |
| 2017 | #2,277 | 58 | 0.0031% |
| 2016 | #2,137 | 65 | 0.0034% |
| 2015 | #1,744 | 88 | 0.0046% |
| 2014 | #2,004 | 71 | 0.0037% |
| 2013 | #2,429 | 51 | 0.0027% |
| 2012 | #2,499 | 50 | 0.0026% |
| 2011 | #2,443 | 51 | 0.0027% |
| 2010 | #2,591 | 47 | 0.0024% |
| 2009 | #2,409 | 53 | 0.0027% |
| 2008 | #3,843 | 27 | 0.0013% |
| 2007 | #3,033 | 38 | 0.0018% |
| 2006 | #2,749 | 42 | 0.0020% |
| 2005 | #3,027 | 34 | 0.0017% |
| 2004 | #3,090 | 32 | 0.0016% |
| 2003 | #2,794 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 2002 | #3,805 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2001 | #2,570 | 37 | 0.0019% |
| 2000 | #2,927 | 30 | 0.0015% |
| 1999 | #2,567 | 34 | 0.0018% |
| 1998 | #2,401 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 1997 | #1,815 | 52 | 0.0028% |
| 1996 | #2,490 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 1995 | #2,455 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 1994 | #2,779 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 1993 | #2,056 | 39 | 0.0020% |
| 1992 | #1,985 | 40 | 0.0020% |
| 1991 | #1,952 | 39 | 0.0019% |
| 1990 | #1,733 | 46 | 0.0022% |
| 1989 | #1,739 | 44 | 0.0022% |
| 1988 | #1,594 | 45 | 0.0024% |
| 1987 | #1,738 | 38 | 0.0020% |
| 1986 | #1,964 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1985 | #1,801 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 1984 | #1,583 | 38 | 0.0021% |
| 1983 | #2,097 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1982 | #1,899 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 1981 | #1,817 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 1980 | #2,227 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1979 | #1,950 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 1978 | #1,972 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 1977 | #1,915 | 26 | 0.0016% |
| 1976 | #2,523 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 1975 | #2,215 | 20 | 0.0013% |
| 1974 | #1,756 | 27 | 0.0017% |
| 1973 | #1,937 | 22 | 0.0014% |
| 1972 | #2,680 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1971 | #2,700 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1970 | #2,755 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1969 | #2,327 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1968 | #2,463 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1967 | #2,154 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1966 | #2,147 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1965 | #2,283 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1964 | #2,561 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1963 | #1,910 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1962 | #3,691 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #2,432 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1960 | #2,559 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1959 | #2,214 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1958 | #2,666 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1957 | #2,665 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1956 | #2,653 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1955 | #1,982 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1954 | #2,613 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1953 | #2,559 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1951 | #2,390 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1950 | #2,804 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1949 | #2,826 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1946 | #3,228 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1943 | #3,276 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1941 | #3,578 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1940 | #2,914 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1937 | #3,228 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1935 | #3,320 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1933 | #3,332 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1932 | #3,859 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1928 | #3,410 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1927 | #3,841 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1925 | #3,190 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1924 | #2,500 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1923 | #3,522 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1922 | #3,931 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1921 | #3,021 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1920 | #2,999 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1919 | #3,806 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1918 | #3,797 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1917 | #4,081 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1914 | #3,337 | 5 | 0.0008% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Charleston Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Charleston's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Charleston's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.