Charlotte
Charlotte is a girls' name of French origin meaning “free woman.” It ranked #2 in the United States in 2025. Charlotte is the French feminine form of Charles, meaning 'free woman.
how do you pronounce Charlotte?
SHAR-lot
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Charlotte mean?
The name Charlotte means “free woman.” It comes from the French language tradition.
Charlotte is the French feminine form of Charles, meaning 'free woman.' Princess Charlotte of Cambridge boosted its already strong standing. Charlotte Bronte and the beloved children's book 'Charlotte's Web' cemented its literary legacy.
where does the name Charlotte come from?
A French feminine diminutive of Charles, which descends from the Germanic karl meaning free man. The double suffix does real work: -ot makes it small, -e makes it feminine, so the name reads as little free woman rather than simply free woman.
the history of Charlotte
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, queen consort of George III, carried the name into British public life and gave it to Charlotte in North Carolina. Charlotte Brontë and E. B. White's Charlotte's Web kept it in print. The birth of Princess Charlotte in 2015 gave it a fresh push, and it has sat in the American top ten ever since.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2024 | #2 |
| 2023 | #2 |
| 2022 | #3 |
| 2021 | #3 |
| 2020 | #6 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Charlotte?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Charlotte?
- Charlotte Bronte (English novelist)
- Princess Charlotte of Wales (British royal)
- Charlotte Perkins Gilman (American feminist writer)
what names are similar to Charlotte?
what names go well with Charlotte?
Sibling names that share Charlotte's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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