Charlene
Girl name · #1942 in 2025 · Uniqueness 74/100
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, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Charlene against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Charlene in class?
Charlene scores 74 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. 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
Geography matters for names, and Charlene is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Charlenes were CA (18), TX (10), TN (5). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
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. It scores 74/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "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.