Charlene
Girl name · #1942 in 2025 · Very rare
Charlene is currently the #1942 girl name in the United States — 99 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1532, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 18,182 girls born in 2025 was named Charlene.
The 137-year story
Charlene first appears in the Social Security records in 1888, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1952, when 3,546 girls were named Charlene — good for #106 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Charlene per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Charlene against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Charlene in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Charlene is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Charlene will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Charlene is most common
State-level data for Charlene is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Charlene
Statistically, parents drawn to Charlene tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Darlene, Christine, Francine, Marianne, and Yvonne.
DarleneChristineFrancineMarianneYvonneCelestineConstanceArlene
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Charlene | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 99 | #1942 |
| 2024 | 115 | #1753 |
| 2023 | 102 | #1934 |
| 2022 | 111 | #1828 |
| 2021 | 114 | #1780 |
| 2020 | 119 | #1704 |
| 2019 | 111 | #1833 |
| 2018 | 112 | #1813 |
| 2017 | 153 | #1465 |
| 2016 | 147 | #1534 |
| 2015 | 146 | #1532 |
| 2014 | 159 | #1427 |
| 2013 | 116 | #1761 |
| 2012 | 134 | #1612 |
| 2011 | 134 | #1612 |
| 2010 | 136 | #1593 |
| 2009 | 142 | #1584 |
| 2008 | 153 | #1521 |
| 2007 | 182 | #1332 |
| 2006 | 190 | #1260 |
| 2005 | 178 | #1262 |
| 2004 | 202 | #1127 |
| 2003 | 165 | #1267 |
| 2002 | 170 | #1197 |
| 2001 | 168 | #1212 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Charlene a popular girl name?
Charlene ranked #1942 among girls in 2025 with 99 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1532.
When was the name Charlene most popular?
Charlene peaked in 1952, when 3,546 American girls received the name (ranked #106 that year). Since 1952 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Charlene?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 18,182 newborn American girls was named Charlene. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.