Charlene
How to say it: shar-LEEN · /ʃɑrˈlin/
French feminine form of Charles; from Germanic 'karl', meaning 'free man'.
Charlene was the 1,455th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 99 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1940s, its births are down about 33% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #1,531 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #1,455 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 99 |
| Share of births | 1 in 31,574 |
| Peak decade | 1940s |
| Change over 10 years | −33% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #1,531 |
| In France, 2025 | #264 among girls’ names, 25 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Charlene peaked in the 1940s and is less common today.
What goes with it
Nicknames
- Char
- Charlie
- Charli
- Lene
Other spellings
Honouring a Charlene in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Charlene is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in English, French, German.
In France: #264 for girls in 2025.
Famous people named Charlene
- Charlene, Princess of Monaco (born 1978)Zimbabwean-South African former Olympic swimmer; wife of Albert II, Prince of Monaco
- Charlene Choi (born 1982)Hong Kong actress and singer
- Charlene Tilton (born 1958)American actress
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Keep exploring
About as popular as Charlene
Find names you'll both love, starting with Charlene
The one-minute style quiz.