Charleston
Boy name · #3003 in 2025 · Uniqueness 85/100
Charleston is currently the #3003 boy name in the United States — 41 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1740, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 43,902 boys born in 2025 was named Charleston.
The 111-year story
Charleston first appears in the Social Security records in 1914, when 5 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2015, when 88 boys were named Charleston — good for #1740 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. 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 Charleston per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Charleston against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Charleston in class?
Charleston scores 85 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 Charleston will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Charleston is most common
State-level data for Charleston is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Charleston
Statistically, parents drawn to Charleston tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Hamilton, Creighton, Lawton, Patton, and Ellington.
HamiltonCreightonLawtonPattonEllingtonBrittonStocktonDrayton
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Charleston | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 41 | #2991 |
| 2024 | 46 | #2789 |
| 2023 | 29 | #3802 |
| 2022 | 44 | #2873 |
| 2021 | 54 | #2464 |
| 2020 | 58 | #2323 |
| 2019 | 70 | #2062 |
| 2018 | 58 | #2300 |
| 2017 | 58 | #2270 |
| 2016 | 65 | #2134 |
| 2015 | 88 | #1740 |
| 2014 | 71 | #2000 |
| 2013 | 51 | #2424 |
| 2012 | 50 | #2488 |
| 2011 | 51 | #2437 |
| 2010 | 47 | #2579 |
| 2009 | 53 | #2401 |
| 2008 | 27 | #3823 |
| 2007 | 38 | #3025 |
| 2006 | 42 | #2744 |
| 2005 | 34 | #3022 |
| 2004 | 32 | #3074 |
| 2003 | 35 | #2780 |
| 2002 | 22 | #3794 |
| 2001 | 37 | #2562 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Charleston a popular boy name?
Charleston ranked #3003 among boys in 2025 with 41 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1740.
When was the name Charleston most popular?
Charleston peaked in 2015, when 88 American boys received the name (ranked #1740 that year). Since 2015 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Charleston?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 43,902 newborn American boys was named Charleston. It scores 85/100 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.