Charley
Girl name · #761 in 2025 · Rare
Charley is currently the #761 girl name in the United States — 356 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #520, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 5,056 girls born in 2025 was named Charley.
The 124-year story
Charley first appears in the Social Security records in 1901, when 7 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2014, when 641 girls were named Charley — good for #489 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 Charley per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Charley against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Charley in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Charley is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Charley will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Charley is most common
Geography matters for names, and Charley is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Charley is most common in SC (0.7 per 1,000), CO (0.5 per 1,000), TN (0.4 per 1,000), MI (0.3 per 1,000), VA (0.3 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Charley is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Charley
Statistically, parents drawn to Charley tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Mckinley, Kensley, Brinley, Berkley, and Brynley.
MckinleyKensleyBrinleyBerkleyBrynleyAinsleyKinleyTinsley
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Charley | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 356 | #760 |
| 2024 | 386 | #730 |
| 2023 | 388 | #723 |
| 2022 | 421 | #700 |
| 2021 | 480 | #617 |
| 2020 | 561 | #537 |
| 2019 | 552 | #551 |
| 2018 | 553 | #563 |
| 2017 | 611 | #514 |
| 2016 | 560 | #557 |
| 2015 | 604 | #520 |
| 2014 | 641 | #489 |
| 2013 | 578 | #515 |
| 2012 | 484 | #596 |
| 2011 | 462 | #625 |
| 2010 | 324 | #827 |
| 2009 | 279 | #958 |
| 2008 | 263 | #1005 |
| 2007 | 239 | #1088 |
| 2006 | 226 | #1107 |
| 2005 | 192 | #1191 |
| 2004 | 168 | #1273 |
| 2003 | 122 | #1579 |
| 2002 | 93 | #1897 |
| 2001 | 73 | #2211 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Charley a popular girl name?
Charley ranked #761 among girls in 2025 with 356 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #520.
When was the name Charley most popular?
Charley peaked in 2014, when 641 American girls received the name (ranked #489 that year). Since 2014 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Charley?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 5,056 newborn American girls was named Charley. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it 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.