Charley
Girl name · #761 in 2025 · Uniqueness 70/100
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, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Charley against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Charley in class?
Charley scores 70 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 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. In 2025 the states with the most Charleys were TX (28), CA (21), FL (19), NY (15), TN (14). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
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. It scores 70/100 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.