Charley
Boy name · #1826 in 2025 · Uniqueness 69/100
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, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
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?
Charley scores 69 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 (10), FL (7), CA (6), LA (5), NY (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 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
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. It scores 69/100 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.