Charley
Boy name · #1826 in 2025 · Very rare
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: 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?
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
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: 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.