Charles at a glance
- Meaning
- “free man”
- Gender
- Boy
- Origin
- Germanic
- Pronunciation
- CHARLZ
- Nicknames
- Charlie, Chuck, Chas
- Other forms
- Karl, Carlos, Carlo, Karel
Where the name Charles comes from
Charles comes from the Germanic word karl, meaning a free man. Charlemagne (Charles the Great) made it famous in Europe, and the Normans brought it to Britain. Britain has had three kings called Charles, including King Charles III.
Famous people named Charles
- Charles Darwin (naturalist)
- Charles Dickens (writer)