Charley
Boy name · #1826 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Charley? In official American birth records, Charley has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Charley is currently the #1826 boy name in the United States — 87 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1780, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 20,690 boys born in 2025 was named Charley.
Babies named Charley per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Charley first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 305 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1920, when 485 boys were named Charley — good for #249 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.
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 "very 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
State-level data for Charley 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).
Nicknames & related forms of Charley
Charley belongs to the Charles family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Charles family went to about 8,445 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #18, versus #1826 for Charley alone.
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 Wiley, Mckinley, Hartley, Clement, and Aubrey.
WileyMckinleyHartleyClementAubreySidneyDempseyCasimir
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Charley | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 87 | #1826 |
| 2024 | 88 | #1833 |
| 2023 | 96 | #1727 |
| 2022 | 86 | #1852 |
| 2021 | 84 | #1841 |
| 2020 | 83 | #1798 |
| 2019 | 86 | #1790 |
| 2018 | 100 | #1625 |
| 2017 | 96 | #1644 |
| 2016 | 79 | #1875 |
| 2015 | 85 | #1780 |
| 2014 | 78 | #1873 |
| 2013 | 89 | #1675 |
| 2012 | 75 | #1909 |
| 2011 | 85 | #1730 |
| 2010 | 92 | #1677 |
| 2009 | 92 | #1698 |
| 2008 | 77 | #1874 |
| 2007 | 80 | #1811 |
| 2006 | 66 | #2010 |
| 2005 | 69 | #1854 |
| 2004 | 74 | #1720 |
| 2003 | 47 | #2269 |
| 2002 | 45 | #2295 |
| 2001 | 37 | #2562 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Charley?
In official American birth records, the name Charley first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 305 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Charley a popular boy name?
Charley ranked #1826 among boys in 2025 with 87 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1780.
When was the name Charley most popular?
Charley peaked in 1920, when 485 American boys received the name (ranked #249 that year). Since 1920 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Charley?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 20,690 newborn American boys was named Charley. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.