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Charlee

girl name
Origin
English
Syllables
2
Peak era
2010s/2020s
Today
▲ Rising

Meaning

modern feminine variant of Charlie/Charles

The story

Charlee is Charlie taken through the -ee finishing school, the same signature Aubree wears earlier in these batches. Underneath it is Charles entire: karl, man, at the root, kings by the dozen, and the friendliest nickname in English. The record shows the gendering wave at work: flickers for a century, then about 780 in the 1990s, 2,200, cresting at 10,000 in the 2010s alongside Charlotte's great revival, with 5,800 so far this decade. In our records it goes to girls about 19,300 to 480. Charlie itself now splits freely between the columns; Charlee is the spelling that removes the ambiguity at a glance, which is precisely its product. A king's name, a beloved nickname, and two e's of intent: the certificate says exactly who she is.

More names with stories →

Charlee around the world

One shared root links 24 names across 7 languages.

Shared root: from Germanic karl "man", Latinized as Carolus and spread everywhere by Charlemagne's fame

The constellation

CharleeEnglish · variantCharlesEnglishCarlScandinavianKarlGermanCarloItalianKarolPolishCaroleFrenchCarolinaPortuguese
16 more branches of this family
CharlieEnglish · diminutiveCharleyEnglish · diminutiveCarolEnglish · short formCarolineFrench · feminine formKarolineGerman · variantCarolynEnglish · variantCarolynnEnglish · variantCarrieEnglish · short formCarlaItalian · feminine formCarlyEnglish · diminutiveCarleyEnglish · variantCarlieEnglish · variantCharlotteFrench · feminine formCharletteEnglish · variantCharleneEnglish · feminine formLottieEnglish · diminutive

Popularity, 1890–2024

1890speak 2010s

Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Charlee peaked in the 2010s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.

When you meet Charlee

Most people given the name Charlee in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.

Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.

Names that fit alongside Charlee

Kaycee Callie Jaycee Ellie Maddie Brylee

The Charlee deep dive

Written for you · $1.99 →

Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Charlee truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Charlee fits with your family’s names and surname.

Both reports, explained →

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