Charles

This article is about the given name. For the family name, see Charles (surname). For other uses, see Charles (disambiguation).

Charles

King Charlemagne (742–814) of the Franks

Pronunciation| /tʃɑːrlz/
French: [ʃaʁl]
Gender| Male
Name day| November 4
Origin
Word/name| French, from Germanic
Meaning| "Free man"
Other names
Variant form(s)| Carl, Karl, Carlo, Carlos, Carolus
Related names| Feminine: Caroline, Charlotte, Charlene

Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries.[1] It is from the French form Charles of the Proto-Germanic name ᚲᚨᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ (in runic alphabet) or *karilaz (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "free man". The Old English descendant of this word was Ċearl or Ċeorl, as the name of King Cearl of Mercia, that disappeared after the Norman conquest of England.

The name was notably borne by Charlemagne (Charles the Great), and was at the time Latinized as Karolus (as in Vita Karoli Magni), later also as Carolus.

## Etymology

[edit]

The name's etymology is a Common Germanic noun *karilaz meaning "free man", which survives in English as churl (< Old English ċeorl),[2] which developed its deprecating sense in the Middle English period.

Some Germanic languages, for example Dutch and German, have retained the word in two separate senses. In the particular case of Dutch, Karel refers to the given name, whereas the noun kerel means "a bloke, fellow, man".[citation needed]

In the form Charles, the initial spelling ch- corresponds to the palatalization of the Latin group ca- to [tʃa] in Central Old French (Francien) and the final -s to the former subjective case (cas sujet) of masculine names in Old French like in Giles or James (< Latin -us, see Spanish/ Portuguese Carlos).

According to Julius Pokorny, the historical linguist and Indo-Europeanist, the root meaning of Charles is "old man", from Indo-European *ĝer-, where the ĝ is a palatal consonant, meaning "to rub; to be old; grain." An old man has been worn away and is now grey with age.[clarification needed][3]

In some Slavic languages, the name Drago (and variants: Dragomir, Dragoslav, etc., all based on the root drag 'dear') has been used as an equivalent for Charles (Karel, etc.). This is based on the false etymology deriving Carl from Latin carus 'dear'.[4] Examples are the Slovene politician Karel Dežman (1821–1889), also known as Dragotin Dežman, and the Slovene historian Dragotin Lončar (1876–1954), baptized Carl.[5]

## History

[edit]

### Early Middle Ages

[edit]

The name is atypical for Germanic names as it is not composed of two elements, but simply a noun meaning "(free) man". This meaning of ceorl contrasts with eorl (Old Norse jarl) "nobleman" on one hand and with þeow (Old Norse þræll) "bondsman, slave" on the other. As such it would not seem a likely candidate for the name of a Germanic king, but it is attested as such with Cearl of Mercia (fl. 620), the first Mercian king mentioned by Bede in his Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum. It is a peculiarity of the Anglo-Saxon royal names that many of the rulers of the earliest period (6th to 7th centuries) have monothematic (simplex) names, while the standard dithematic (compounded) names become almost universal from the 8th century. Compare the name of King Mul of Kent (7th century) which simply translates to "mule".

Charles Martel, the son of Pepin of Herstal and Alpaida, was either illegitimate or the product of a bigamous marriage, and therefore indeed a "free man", but not of noble rank. After his victory at the Battle of Soissons (718), Charles Martel styled himself Duke of the Franks. Charles' eldest son was named Carloman (c. 710 – 754), a rare example of the element carl- occurring in a compound name. The Chronicle of Fredegar names an earlier Carloman as the father of Pepin of Landen, and thus the great-great-grandfather of the Charles Martel. This would place the name Carloman in the 6th century, and open the possibility that the Frankish name Carl may originate as a short form of Carloman. The only other compound name with the Carl- prefix is Carlofred (Carlefred), attested in the 7th century; as a suffix, it occurs in the rare names Altcarl and Gundecarl (9th and 11th centuries, respectively).[6]

Charlemagne (742–814) was Charles Martel's grandson. After Charlemagne's reign, the name became irrevocably connected with him and his Carolingian dynasty. After Charlemagne, the name Charles (Karol) became even the standard word for "king" in Slavic (Czech and Slovak král, Polish król; South Slavic kral крал, krȃlj краљ; Russian король), Baltic (Latvian karalis, Lithuanian karalius) and Hungarian (király).

Charlemagne's son Charles the Younger died without issue, but the name resurfaces repeatedly within the 9th-century Carolingian family tree, so with Charles the Bald (823–877), Charles the Fat (839–888) Charles of Provence (845–863), Charles the Child (847/848–866) and Charles the Simple (879–929).

### Later Middle Ages and Early Modern history

[edit]

The name survives into the High Middle Ages (Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine; Charles, Count of Valois; Charles I, Count of Flanders (Charles the Good, beatified in 1882); Charles I of Naples; Charles I of Hungary). Karl Sverkersson was a king of Sweden in the 12th century, counted as "Charles VII" due to a genealogical fiction of the 17th century by Charles "IX", but actually the first king of Sweden with this name.

Charles resurfaces as a royal name in Germany with Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1316–1378, counted as "the fourth" after Charlemagne, Charles the Bald and Charles the Fat) and in France with Charles IV of France (1294–1328, "the fourth" after Charlemagne, Charles the Bald and Charles the Simple), and becomes comparatively widespread in the Late Middle Ages (Charles I, Duke of Savoy, Charles III, Duke of Savoy).

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) gives rise to a tradition of Charlses in Habsburg Spain (Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, Charles II of Spain, Charles III of Spain, Charles IV of Spain).

The numbering scheme for the kings of Sweden was continued in modern times with Charles X Gustav, Charles XI, Charles XII, Charles XIII, Charles XIV John and Charles XV.

Charles I of England (1600–1649) is followed by Charles II of England (1630–1685). The Province of Carolina is named during the rule of Charles II, after Charles I.

Charles III Philip, Elector Palatine (1661–1742).

### Modern history

[edit]

Carlism is a political movement in Spain seeking the establishment of a separate line of the Bourbon family on the Spanish throne. This line descended from Infante Carlos, Count of Molina (1788–1855), and was founded due to dispute over the succession laws and widespread dissatisfaction with the Alfonsine line of the House of Bourbon. The movement was at its strongest in the 1830s, causing the Carlist Wars, and had a revival following Spain's defeat in the Spanish–American War in 1898, and lasted until the end of the Franco regime in 1975 as a social and political force

Charles Floyd (1782–1804) was the only casualty in the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Charles DeRudio (1832–1910) was an Italian aristocrat, would-be assassin of Napoleon III, and later a career U.S. Army officer who fought in the 7th U.S. Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Charles Albert Varnum (1849–1936) was the commander of the scouts in the Little Bighorn Campaign and received the Medal of Honor for his actions in a conflict following the Battle of Wounded Knee. "Lonesome" Charley Reynolds (1842–1876) was a scout in the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment who was killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Carl has been a very popular male given name in the United States during the late 19th to early 20th centuries, consistently ranking in the top 30 male given names in the US from 1887 to 1938, and remaining among the top 100 until the 1980s, but since declining below rank 500. Charles has always been among the top 100 names in the U.S. since records started in 1880.[7] In addition, it is among the top 100 names given in England and Wales; the current King of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, Charles III, is a notable bearer of the name. In 2022, it was the 26th most popular name given to boys in Canada.[8]

## Derived feminine names

[edit]

Caroline and Charlotte are feminine given names derived from Carl.[9][10][11]

Charlotte is late medieval, e.g. Charlotte of Savoy (1441–1483), Charlotte of Cyprus (1444–1487). It was introduced to Britain in the 17th century, and gave rise to hypocorisms such as Lottie, Tottie, Totty.

Caroline is early modern, e.g. Caroline of Ansbach (1683–1737). It has given rise to numerous variations, such as  Carlyn, Carolina, Carolyn, Karolyn, Carolin, Karolina, Karoline, Karolina, Carolien, as well as hypocorisms, such as Callie, Carol, Carrie, etc.

Another derived feminine name is Carla (Bulgarian, Catalan, Dutch, English, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish), a name which dates from early Italy.[12]

Regional forms:

*     * Carolina (Italian, Indonesian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Bulgarian)
* Caroline (English, French, Indonesian, Swedish, Danish, Dutch)
* Carolyn (English)
* Carlijn (Dutch)
* Karoliina (Finnish)
* Karolina (Bulgarian, Indonesian, Polish, Swedish)
* Karolína (Czech)
* Karoline (Danish, Indonesian, Norwegian, Swedish)
* Karolina (Каролина) (Russian)
* Keraleyn (קעראַליין) (Yiddish)
* Carly (American)
* Carol (English)
* Carola (German, Swedish)
* Carole (English, French, Portuguese)
* Karol (קאַראָל) (Yiddish)
* Kyārōla (क्यारोल) (Nepali)
* Kerol (Керол) (Serbian), (Russian)
* Charlotte (English, French, German, Swedish, Danish, Dutch)
* Carlota (Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan)
* Carlotta (Italian)
* Charlotta (Swedish)
* Carla
* Charla (English)
* Karla (Bulgarian, German, Indonesian, Scandinavian, Serbian, Czech, Croatian)
* Карла (Bulgarian, Russian, Serbian)
* Charlene (given name), Charlène

## Regional forms of the name

[edit]

Language  | Formal name  | Informal name

|
|

Armenian | Կարլոս (Karlos) |
Basque | Karlos |
Bulgarian | Карл (Karl) |
Belarusian | Чарльз (Čarĺz) |
Catalan | Carles |
Chinese | 查尔斯 (simplified), 查爾斯 (traditional) (Chá'ěrsī) |
Croatian | Karlo |
Czech | Karel |
Danish | Karl, Carl |
Dutch | Karel |
English | Charles | Charlie/Charley, Chuck, Chucky, Chaz/Chas, Chad, Chip
Estonian | Kaarel, Kaarli, Kaaro, Kalle |
Faroese | Karl |
Finnish | Kaarlo, Kaarle, Kalle, Karl |
French | Charles | Charlot
German | Karl, Carl |
Georgian | კარლო (Karlo) |
Greek | Κάρολος (Károlos) |
Hungarian | Károly | Karcsi
Hawaiian | Kale |
Icelandic | Karl |
Indonesian | Charles, Carolus |
Irish | Carlus, Séarlas, Cathal |
Italian | Carlo |
Japanese | チャールズ (Chāruzu) |
Korean | 찰스 (chalseu) |
Latin | Carolus |
Latvian | Kārlis |
Limburgish | Sjarel |
Lithuanian | Karolis |
Norwegian | Karl, Carl |
Polish | Karol |
Portuguese | Carlos | Carlinhos
Romanian | Carol |
Russian | Карл (Karl) |
Scottish Gaelic | Teàrlach |
Serbian | Карло (Karlo) |
Slovak | Karol |
Slovene | Karel |
Spanish | Carlos | Carlito, Carlitos, Caloy (Philippines)
Swedish | Karl, Carl, Kalle |
Welsh | Siarl |

## List of notable people

[edit]

### Media, arts and entertainment

[edit]

In literature
Name  | Description

|

Charles Abreu | Cuban composer and pianist
Charles Baudelaire | French poet
Charles Bukowski | American poet and novelist
Charles Dickens | English novelist
Charles Dodgson (pen-name Lewis Carroll) | English clergyman, writer and mathematician
Charles Edwards | Canadian journalist and news agency executive
Charles Henri Ford | American poet, photographer and writer
Charles Fort | American writer and researcher into anomalous phenomena
Charles L. Grant | American science-fiction author
Charles Roger Hargreaves | Children's author who wrote the Mr. Men and Little Miss series.
Charles "Sis Doc" Richardson | American newspaper editor, founder of Chi Omega
Charles Lewinsky | Swiss screenwriter, dramatist and playwright
Charles Lummis | American journalist, poet, historian; founder of the Southwest Museum
Charles Mayer | Canadian journalist, sportsperson and politician
Charles Olson | American poet
Charles O'Rear | American photographer known for taking Bliss
Charles Jacobs Peterson | American author, editor and publisher
Charles G.D. Roberts | Canadian poet
Charles Webb (author) | American author of The Graduate

In music
Name  | Description

|

Charles Aznavour | French-Armenian singer
Chuck Berry | American guitarist, singer, and composer
Charlie Daniels | American country music figure
Charles Gavin | Brazilian rock drummer/producer
Charlie Haden | American Jazz bassist and composer
Charles Ives | American composer
Charles Kelley | Vocalist and founding member of the country music trio Lady A
Charles Lloyd | American jazz musician
Chuck Mangione | American jazz artist
Charles Mingus | American Jazz bassist and composer
Charles E. Moody | American gospel songwriter and performer
Charlie Parker | American Jazz saxophonist
Charlie Simpson | British musician and singer
Charles Davis Tillman (1861–1943) | pioneer of southern gospel music
Charlie Watts | English drummer for the rock group The Rolling Stones

In film
Name  | Description

|

Charles Bowers | American cartoonist and early filmmaker
Charles Boyer | French-American actor
Charles Bronson | American actor
Sebastian Cabot (born Charles Sebastian Thomas Cabot)  | English actor
Charlie Chaplin | English comedy actor, famous for silent film acting
Charley Chase | American silent film comedian and writer
Charles Dance | English actor
Charles Durning | American actor
Charles Gray | English actor
Charles Grodin | American actor and cable talk show host
Charles Herbert | American child actor of the '50s and '60s
Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter) | American actor
Lionel Jeffries (born Lionel Charles Jeffries)  | English actor
Charles Laughton | English actor
Chas Licciardello | Australian comedian and a member of The Chaser
Charles Stanton Ogle | silent film actor
Charles Nelson Reilly | American comic actor and game show regular
Charles Reisner | American actor and film director

In television
Name  | Description

|

Charles Gibson | American television journalist
Charles Kuralt | American television journalist
Charlie Rose | American host of a television interview show

In visual arts
Name  | Description

|

Charles Addams | American cartoonist known for his particularly black humor and macabre characters
Charles Dellschau | Prussian-American outsider artist
Charles Eyck | Dutch visual artist
Chuck Jones | American animator
Charles R. Knight | wildlife artist, known for prehistoric restorations
Charles Lutyens | English artist and art therapist
Charles Chandler Reese (1862-1936), American illustrator, newspaper cartoonist, and artist
Charles Augustus Henry Lutyens | English soldier and painter
Charles Martinet | American actor known for playing the voice as Mario and other characters
Charles Prendergast | Canadian-American artist
Charles Schulz | creator of the comic strip Peanuts

Other areas of media, arts and entertainment
Name  | Description

|

Charles White (YouTuber) | American YouTuber and Twitch streamer

### Athletes

[edit]

Name  | Description

|

Charlie Austin | English footballer
Charles Aránguiz | Chilean professional footballer
Charles Barkley | former NBA forward and a current NBA color commentator for TNT
Chuck Bednarik | NFL player, 1967, Philadelphia Eagles
Charles Betts | American professional wrestler
Charl Bouwer | South African paralympic swimmer
Charles Callison | American basketball player
Charles Cornelius | NFL and CFL player
Charles Daniels (1885–1973) | American freestyle swimmer
Charley Diamond | American football player
Charlie Fleming | Scottish footballer
Charles "Buckets" Goldenberg | American All-Pro football player
Charles Green (disambiguation) | multiple people
Charles Harris | American football player
Chuck Hayes | American basketball player who currently plays for the Houston Rockets
Charles Horton | American football player
Charles Jagusah | American football player
Charles Jenkins (disambiguation) | multiple people
Charles Leclerc | Monégasque racing driver
Charles Lefrançois | Canadian high jumper
Charlie McCarthy | Irish hurler
Charles Myer | American major league baseball All Star second baseman
Charles Oakley | American basketball forward
Charles O'Bannon | American basketball player
Charl Pietersen (darts player) | South African darts player
Charles Radbourn | early Major League Baseball pitcher
Charles Ramsdell | Malagasy athlete
Charlie Reiter | American professional soccer player
Charles Fernando Basílio da Silva | Brazilian midfielder
Charles Sifford | first African American golfer to play in a PGA tour
Charles Tangus | Kenyan distance and marathon runner
Charles Washington | American football player

### In politics

[edit]

Name  | Description

|

Charles "Bubba" Chaney | Louisiana politician
Charles Francis Adams Sr. | American congressman and ambassador, grandson of John Adams
Charles Edward Bennett | Democratic U.S. Congressman from Florida
Charles Bent | first Governor of New Mexico Territory, assassinated in 1847
Charles Joseph Bonaparte | former U. S. Attorney General
Charles Bradlaugh | British political activist and militant atheist, founder of the National Secular Society
Charles Q. Brown Jr. | Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Charles Carroll of Carrollton | last living signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence (died 1832)
Charles Chanda | Zambian politician
Charles Colson | U.S. Richard Nixon's Chief Counsel, involved in the Watergate scandal
Charles Magill Conrad | former American Secretary of War
Charles Edward Bandaranaike Corea | Sri Lankan Sinhala lawyer
Charles Curtis | 31st American Vice President, under Herbert Hoover
Charles G. Dawes | 30th American Vice President, under Calvin Coolidge
Charles Devens | former U.S. Attorney General
Charles de Gaulle | French military leader and statesman
Charles Edward Perry de Silva | Sri Lankan Sinhala lawyer and politician
Charles Percival de Silva | Sri Lankan civil servant and politician
Charles de Silva Batuwantudawe | Sri Lankan Sinhala lawyer and politician
Charles Edirisuriya | Sri Lankan Sinhala Member of Parliament for Hambanthota
Charlie Elphicke | British politician
James Charles Evers | civil rights activist, older brother of Medgar Evers
Charles W. Fairbanks | 26th American Vice President, under Theodore Roosevelt
Charles Hubert Zaleski Fernando | Sri Lankan Sinhala businessman, lawyer, and member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon
Charles Matthew Fernando | Sri Lankan Sinhala lawyer and scholar, first Sri Lankan Crown Counsel
Charles A. Ford | American diplomat
Charles Gibbs | Canadian politician
Charles J. M. Gwinn | American lawyer and politician
Charles Harper | Australian politician
Charles Alwis Hewavitharana | Sri Lankan Sinhala independence activist
Charles Evans Hughes | former U.S. Secretary of State
Charles Humphreys | Pennsylvania delegate to Continental Congress; refused to sign Declaration of Independence due to his Quaker beliefs
Charles Muguta Kajege | Tanzanian politician
Charles Y. Kaneshiro | American politician
Charles Kennedy | British politician
Charles Lapointe | Canadian politician
Chuck Larson | former U.S. ambassador to Latvia
Charles Lee | former U. S. Attorney General
Charles Ambrose Lorensz | Sri Lankan Burgher lawyer, legislator, and journalist
Charles Mathias (1922–2010) | American politician
Charles Naylor (1806–1872) | American politician
Karolos Papoulias | former President of Greece
Charles Stewart Parnell | Irish political leader
Charles Sheedy | West Virginian politician
Charles Pasqua | French businessman and politician
Charles Pearson | former Solicitor for The City of London and early railway advocate
Chuck Robb | former Governor of Virginia and U.S. Senator
Charlie Rose | American congressman (Democrat from N.C.)
Charles Scott | Governor of Kentucky; also George Washington's Chief of Intelligence during the American Revolution
Charles Harding Smith | Irish politician
Charles G. Taylor | former President of Liberia
Charles Thomson | secretary of the Continental Congress
Charles Townsend | British politician
Charles Wilson | Texas congressman, subject of 2007 movie Charlie Wilson's War

### In religion

[edit]

* Charles Barff (1791–1866), English missionary

#### Saints

[edit]

There are a number of historical figures known as "Saint Charles", although few are recognized across confessions. In the context of English and British history, "Saint Charles" is typically Charles I of England, recognized as a saint in the Anglican confession only. In Roman Catholicism, the best known Saint Charles is Charles Borromeo (1538–1584), an Italian cardinal, canonized by Pope Paul V in 1606. Charles, Duke of Brittany (1319–1364) had been canonized after his death, but Pope Gregory XI annulled this. Charles the Good (died 1127) is sometimes referred to as a saint, but while he was beatified in 1904, he has not been canonized.

Other Saints of the Roman Catholic Church, canonized after 1900:

* 1904: Saint Charles Garnier (1606–1649), French Jesuit missionary and martyr
* 1959: Saint Charles of Sezze (1616–1670), Franciscan lay brother
* 1964: Saint Charles Lwanga (1860 or 1865–1886), Ugandan Catholic martyr
* 1995: Saint Charles-Joseph-Eugène de Mazenod (1782–1861), French Catholic clergyman
* 2007: Saint Charles of Mount Argus (1821–1818), Passionist Dutch priest who worked in Ireland

Beatified:

* 1867: Blessed Charles Spinola (1564–1622), Genoese nobleman
* 2004: Blessed Charles I of Austria (1887–1922), last emperor of Austria, king of Hungary, Bohemia, etc

#### Church leaders

[edit]

* Charles Wesley (1707–1788), co-founder of the Methodist movement and writer of thousands of hymns
* Charles Grandison Finney (1792–1875), a leader of the Second Great Awakening in America
* Charles Godwyn (1701-1770), British cleric and antiquarian
* Charles W. Penrose (1832–1925), leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
* Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892), Reformed Baptist preacher
* Charles Harrison Mason (1866–1961), Pentecostal preacher and founder of the Church of God in Christ
* Charles Coughlin (1891–1979), American Catholic priest
* Charles E. Sheedy (1912–1990), member of the Congregation of Holy Cross

### Nobility

[edit]

See #History above for medieval and early modern royalty and nobility. This section lists noblemen born after 1700.

Further information: Charles I (disambiguation), Charles II (disambiguation), Charles III (disambiguation), Charles IV (disambiguation), Charles V (disambiguation), Charles VI (disambiguation), Charles VII (disambiguation), Charles VIII (disambiguation), Charles IX (disambiguation), and Carlism

* Charles d'Ursel
* Charles-Joseph, 4th Duke d'Ursel
* Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1713–1780)
* Charles III of Spain (1716–1788), first son of the second marriage of Philip V with Elizabeth Farnese of Parma
* "Bonnie Prince Charlie" Charles Edward Stuart (1720–1788), exiled claimant to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland
* Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis (1738–1805), English military commander and colonial governor
* Charles XIII of Sweden (1748–1818), king of Sweden, the second son of King Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Louisa Ulrika of Prussia
* Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia (1751–1819)
* Charles IV of Spain (1748–1819), king of Spain from December 14, 1788, until his abdication on March 19, 1808
* Charles XIV John of Sweden (1763–1844), king of Sweden and Norway. Former Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, Marshal of France
* Infante Carlos, Count of Molina (1788–1855)
* Charles, Count Léon (1806–1881), illegitimate son of Emperor Napoleon I of France and Catherine Eléonore Denuelle de la Plaigne
* Charles III, Prince of Monaco (1818–1889), founder of the casino in Monte Carlo
* Infante Carlos, Count of Montemolin (1818–1861)
* Charles I of Romania (1839–1914) first ruler of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty
* Carlos, Duke of Madrid (1848–1909)
* Charles I of Portugal (1863–1908), second to last King of Portugal and Algarves from 1889 to 1908
* Charles I of Austria (1887–1922), Emperor of Austria
* Charles II of Romania (1893–1853), eldest son of Ferdinand I
* Charles XV of Sweden (1826–1872), king of Sweden, the eldest son of King Oscar I and Josephine of Leuchtenberg
* Prince Charles of Belgium (1903–1983), second son of King Albert I of Belgium and Queen Elizabeth
* Archduke Karl Pius of Austria, Prince of Tuscany (1909–1953)
* Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma (1930–2010)
* Juan Carlos I of Spain (born 1938), former King of Spain
* Charles III, King of the United Kingdom (born 1948), eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

### Scientists

[edit]

Name  | Description

|

Charles Babbage | English mathematician, philosopher, mechanical engineer and computer scientist
Charles L. Bennett | American astrophysicist
Charles Thomas Bolton | astronomer who proved the existence of black holes
Charles Bouman | American engineering professor
Charles W. Curtis | American mathematician
Charles Darwin | British naturalist
Charles Dawson | English archaeologist, involved in the Piltdown Man hoax
Charles Dupin | French mathematician, engineer, economist, and politician
Charles Ehresmann | French mathematician
Charles Fleming (ornithologist) | New Zealand ornithologist
Charles Godakumbura | Sri Lankan Sinhala archaeologist
Charles Hermite | French mathematician
Charles Thomas Jackson | American geologist
Charles T. Kowal | American astronomer, discoverer of Chiron and 2 moons of Jupiter
Charles Newton Little | American mathematician and civil engineer
Charles Lyell | Scottish scientist, founder of modern geology
Charles F. Marvin | American meteorologist
Charles Delucena Meigs | American obstetrician
Charles Karsner Mills | American neurologist
Charles Wright Mills | American sociologist
Charles Sanders Peirce | American chemist, mathematician, philosopher,
Charles E. de M. Sajous | American endocrinologist and laryngologist
Charles Sims (mathematician) | American mathematician
Charles Hazelius Sternberg | American fossil collector, involved in the Bone Wars
Charles Mortram Sternberg | son of above, also a fossil collector and paleontologist
Charles Tilly | American sociologist
Charles Doolittle Walcott | American paleontologist and Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
Charles E. Wyman | Chair of the Ford Motor Company and professor of chemistry
Charles Thomson Rees Wilson | Scottish physicist
Charles M. C. Lee | Taiwanese behavioral economist

### Other

[edit]

Architecture

* Charles Armstrong (died 1981), Irish labourer
* Charles Barry, designer of the rebuilt Palace of Westminster
* Charles Barry Jr., his son
* Charles Thaddeus Russell (1875–1952), African American architect from Richmond, Virginia

Aviation and Aerospace

* Charles Lindbergh, first person to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean
* Chuck Yeager, American test pilot and first man to break the sound barrier

Entrepreneurs and businessmen

* Charles Darrow (1889–1967), American businessman falsely credited as the inventor of Monopoly
* Don Charles Gemoris Attygalle (1836–1901), Sri Lankan Sinhala entrepreneur and mine owner
* Charles Henry de Soysa (1836–1890), Sri Lankan Sinhala planter and philanthropist
* Charles Keating, American financier, instigator of the "Keating 5" scandal
* Charles Macalester, businessman, banker, philanthropist, namesake of Macalester College
* Charles M. Schwab, founder of Bethlehem Steel
* Charles R. Schwab, stock-broker and founder of the Charles Schwab Corporation
* Charles Shor (born 1954), American businessman
* Charles Stewart Wurts (1790-1859), American businessman
* Charles Zadok (1897–1984), American businessman, art collector and patron

Military personnel

* Charles L. Armstrong (1948-2011), United States Marine Corps lieutenant colonel
* Charles M. Betts (1838-1905), American Medal of Honor recipient
* Charles Upham, most-decorated Commonwealth serviceman of World War Two

Criminals

* Charles A. Salvador (born Michael Peterson but better known as "Charles Bronson"), notorious English prisoner
* Charles Cullen, American serial killer and former nurse
* Charles Gibbs, 19th-century pirate
* Charles J. Guiteau, American assassin of 20th President James A. Garfield
* Charles Hudspeth, American man convicted of murder
* Charles "Charlie" Lawson, American mass murderer and family annihilator
* Charles Manson (1934–2017), American cult leader, convicted murder conspirator
* Charles "Carl" Panzram, American serial killer
* Charles Ponzi, Italian-American con-man, gave name to Ponzi scheme
* Charles Sobhraj, Indian serial killer
* Charles Starkweather, American teenage spree killer
* Charles Whitman, American spree killer and former Marine

## Other uses of the name

[edit]

* Carolus (coin)
* "Charles", a short story by Shirley Jackson
* Charley horse, a biophysical condition

## See also

[edit]

* All pages with titles beginning with Charles
* All pages with titles containing Charles
* Carl (name)
* Carles (name)
* Charley (disambiguation)
* Charlie (disambiguation)
* Charls
* Charly (disambiguation)
* Chuck (disambiguation)
* Charleston (disambiguation)
* Charlestown (disambiguation)
* Saint Charles (disambiguation)
* Chas (disambiguation)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Charles". Name-doctor.com. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
2. ^ T. F. Hoad, English Etymology, Oxford University Press, 1993 (ISBN 0-19-283098-8). p. 76.
3. ^ Pokorny, Julius; G. Starotsin; A. Lubotsky (2007). Proto-Indo-European Etymological Dictionary: a Revised Edition of Julius Pokorny's Indogermanicshes Etymologisches Wörterbuch. Indo-European Language Association. pp. 1192–1193.
4. ^ Keber, janez (1988). Leksikon imen. Celje: Mohorjeva družba. p. 152.
5. ^ Taufbuch. Brdo. 1862–1886. p. 34. Retrieved November 10, 2022.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
6. ^ E. Förstemann, Altdeutsches Namenbuch (1856), s.v. 'Carl' (303).
7. ^ "Charles". Behind the Name. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
8. ^ "Table 17-10-0147-01 First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators (Number)". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2024-08-25.
9. ^ "Caroline". Behind the Name. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
10. ^ "Charlotte". Behind the Name. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
11. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). "Caroline". Oxford Reference. Oxford. doi:10.1093/acref/9780198610601.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
12. ^ "Carla". Behind the Name. Retrieved 12 April 2017.

Name list

This page or section lists people that share the same given name.
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Authority control databases

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*[fl.]: floruit ('flourished' – known to have been active at a particular time or during a particular period)
*[c.]: circa