Charles

Great name. I can understand why people dislike it, but I think it is very timeless, cool and always sounds great.

Whenever I see or hear about this name, two images come to mind, either Charles Dickens or Charles Darwin. Other than that, I cannot conjure an image in my brain that would satisfy my impression of a guy named Charles. That’s my take on this name =)

It's my favorite name. I also like the meaning of this and I am inclined to think of an intelligent person who passes books with a cold expression in a library.

Sounds like charcoal.

My first name is Charles (named for a family friend of all people) anyway, growing up I actually couldn't stand my first name. And I didn't like the nicknames my family or school mates called me like Chucky, Chuck or Chaz. Now that I am eighteen years old and going off to college this fall, I have kinda learned to like, if not, tolerate my name. I am not like super thrilled about it. But I guess it is acceptable. I don't use nicknames though and just go by Charles.

I am divided on whether or not to like this name. On one hand, whenever I see the name Charles, this name, for some bizarre reason, brings up an image of a soggy and wet paper towel. On the other hand, being a history buff, I am well acquainted with the knowledge about the numerous monarchs of history who have shared this name. It’s so difficult to choose when one has conflicting images of a name like Charles.

I gave my son (Born on March 3 of 2021) this name to honor my maternal great-grandfather who was a French-Canadian from Quebec that immigrated to the United States in the late 19th century. While my wife and I can appreciate this name on our little man, we can understand that it is not to everyone's taste. And you know what? That's just fine. As my late grandmother used to tell me as a boy, "Some people won't like the color green. Some won't like sugar in their tea on a cold rainy day, but you know sweetie? To each their own." Peace out!

I understand that some people might not like this name. Fortunately, for those that have this name, I like it! Arguments of taste are trivial and besides the point for this cool and classy moniker.

It is just fine as a name and it is not very common where I live, that is why it is not getting old.

I mean it’s okay, I know it has good meaning to it, but the thing is, it’s so common, and that’s why it’s getting old.

My dad's first name is Charles and is the middle name of my older brother. Even though it has been used in my family for some time, I really never saw this as a name to use for my first born son as it was already in use by the men in my life and that was enough of Charles for me.

Still, not very outdated and always timeless.

Still, very outdated.

There is nothing “old” or “boring” about this name. On the contrary, Charles is a noteworthy name that spans the centuries and has had some notable individuals with historic significance. Cheers to this name and those who have it as their own!

Old and boring.

My basic thoughts regarding this name can be summed up as having a certain quality about it that is, in my opinion, a charming classic.

This name isn’t up there with George or Paul or Henry, but it’s still a strong name. It will grow with your child. Pay no mind to cookielover, he gives everyone negative comments.

I know many people named Charles, and coincidentally, they are all attorneys. As well— they are all of varying ethnicities and religions. So, Charles is a very well-renowned name worldwide. It seems that if you want to set your children up for success, it would not hurt to pick a great foundational name like Charles to give them a head start.

It's a classy name for a boy.

Confusing pronunciation. My aunt pronounces it ‘SHAR-LUS’.

This is my legal name, and I like it a lot. I used to hate being called Charles and just went by Charlie my whole life because Charles sounded too formal and old, but now I've grown up a bit and I've realised that it really is quite nice. My parents set me up well for my adult life, because by calling me Charles it allowed me to have a formal job and sound professional. Thanks, parents :)

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To summarise: this is a good name, call your kids Charles.

I love it. It sounds royal in my opinion. It's very handsome, timeless, classic and nice.

I like this name, actually! I find it very classy and charming. The “Char” part in Charles even sounds like charming!

I mean, I personally love it. Sounds really classy to me. I respect others' opinions, though.

I think Charles is a nice name. Very classy and deeply rich in history. Plus, I love Charlie for short ;)

I don’t like it, it’s sounds old and boring.

I used to dislike Charles, but I think it sounds handsome and nice now. Love the nickname Charlie but no Chuck.

Sounds very royal.

Such a timeless, classic boy's name!

I really like this name and personally believe that this is very timeless with a varying degree of class and sophistication.

Really elegant, quality, classic name! I like it a lot! It looks so nice and it's just a beautiful, good quality name! I think Charles is one of the best male names.

Boring. Yawn.

My name is Charles. When I was younger I didn't like my name at all, Charles or Chuck. As a teenager I started to feel more comfortable with Charlie and stressed to my friends to call me that. Not Chuck at all. I hated the nickname and it made me feel like a thief. Being called Charles was worse. Parents call you by your full name, you know that your in trouble. I have stuck to being called Charlie and I feel happier with this nickname for Charles.

It's a decent name but if a Charles tries to force the "Chuck" nickname, he is not to be trusted. Chuck E. Cheese wannabe.

It sounds more like a nickname for Charlie or Chuck rather than an actual name. This is a good, masculine name for a boy overall.

Solid name.

Oh, I love it. One of my favorites. I especially like the nickname Charlie, it sounds very retro and gentle.

To be honest, this name isn't the worst for a child. It makes me think of the little boy Charles Wallace in the book A Wrinkle in Time. Quite cute actually!

I used to think this name was boring, but a certain helicopter-flying stickman changed my mind...

My actual name is Charles. I thought it was pretty cool because no one I knew had that name. In middle school, my coach called me Charles Barkley (yes I did play basketball) and I didn’t really get called Chuck until high school. This is a good name if you want your kid to stand out.

I like Carl more but if you can call your kid Charlie for some years it will be nice.

It's okay.

I'm quite fond of this name. It reminds me of Charles Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie. It's very classic and I think that it fits all ages. It has a warm and strong sound to it, and I think it's a great name that'll never be out of style. Lots of nickname choices too.

The name Charles has the reputation of appearing rather “stodgy” and “outdated” to some of the commenters on this website. The possibility of this might be due to an abundance of “overuse” in previous generations. Most notably of those born over fifty years ago when the name was quite common. On the other hand, as in many cycles concerning the rise and fall of popularity, the name Charles could experience a comeback in a generation or two. Look, for example, at the feminine version
known as Charlotte. Once considered a grandmother’s name and now is one of the top ten girls names in the USA and other western countries. If such an occurrence could happen for Charlotte, then it could be probable for some sort of revival
for Charles.

Like this name for it's strength and classic sound, but it seems to be fading. The nickname Chuck is rather gross. Love the similar names Charla and Charlton.

I like the name Charles, but not the nicknames Charlie and Chuck.

Sort of pompous sounding. Charlie is better.

I love this name. It is an extremely classic name that screams sophistication. The only thing I don't like is the nickname Chuck. :P.

We chose this name for my little boy who is 8 months old. We refer to him as just Charles and not Charlie and in fact I find that it is quite quirky as there are no other babies called Charles. We don't think we are posh it's just I don't care for babyish sounding names, friends have commented on how much he suits his name.

I imagine Charles as being cute and quirky, lol.

A classic and strong name. I like It.

My father is named Charles. What baffles me is how foolish and dim-witted someone would have to be to call this a feminine name, but that appears to be the case with many names nowadays. Very sad, really.

Personally I think this name is boring, plus it sounds too harsh and rough for a baby boy nowadays. Please, leave this name for the older generation.

One of the few "classic" names that I really like, as it sounds strong and masculine, yet you can still get cute nicknames like Charlie out of it. I wouldn't use it due to it's commonness, but I still like the name.

Regal, serious, and intelligent. My son is intelligent but the other descriptors do not fit. Instead he is comical, sporty, and kind. He has always been called Charles and from an early age he has corrected those who have tried to nickname him. This name has been fairly popular maintaining a ranking in the single digits for half of the past 134 years and only recently falling as low as 55.

I love this name! It's sounds so sophisticated and handsome! :D.

Just awful. It has a very staunch sound. I just can't like this name at all.

Charles reminds me of Little House on the Prairie; it was Pa's name. I am starting to like this name a lot and I think the nickname Charlie is cute for a little boy.

I knew a little boy named Charlie. (Charles) he was so cute and everybody was always telling him how much they liked his name :)

Loooove the name Charlie! But it sounds way too informal as a full name, so I guess Charles isn't bad.

I don't really like the name Charles. I just don't really like the sound (or most of the associations).
It's very surprising to see a kid my age named Charles these days--there's one my age, and the first day of this year, the teacher muttered "Ooooh. Vintage. That's a throwback name."
I prefer the nickname Chuck to Chaz, Charlie and just Charles.

I would name my kid this just for the nickname Charlie. Charles sounds so serious.

I'm not crazy about the full version, but the nickname Charlie is really cute. Can't say I feel the same way about the name Charlie for girls, however.

My husband's name is Charles. He was called Chuckie when he was growing up as his father was a Charles also, called, Chuck. He has since changed his nickname to Chaz, which I greatly prefer. Chuck makes me think of "ground chuck" beef, and woodchucks.

It's a cool name, but it's way too common. I recommend waiting until it's popularity dies down to use it.

The name is actually quite good, even though it sounds a bit elitist in its official form. It's so common, but I haven't heard of many guys who go by Charles. I've heard of plenty of Charlies and Chucks, and the former nickname sounds too immature and a bit annoying to me, and the latter sounds like some dimwit redneck name. I wish people named Charles just went by Charles, then it would stop reminding me of the royal family in England. Heck, it's got less syllables and everything!

I LOVE this name! It sounds so strong and formal, but there are some great nicknames for it too. Like: Char and Charlie.

I love this name. Especially for a middle name. I think that the name Charles flows well with many names and that is why I like it for a middle name.

I would use this for a girl with the French pronunciation. I think it sounds so much more feminine.

This is my name, except I go by Charlie. I really am not a big fan of this name and I usually hate to be referred to as my real name. Maybe when I get older I'll appreciate it more.

I've never liked this name much, and I don't know why---but I at least respect it because it's a good, solid, traditional sort of name, and not something invented or spelled "uniquely".

It's a good name but I think the nicknames Charlie or Char would be better sounding for Charles.

I like it because it's classic. I'll probably name my son Charles Whittaker because there have been, like, 4 generations of Charles Whittaker's in our family. Sorta weird, when you think about it.

Why not keep the old names going? I would name my baby boy Charles because it's classic, and then it could be abbreviated to Charlie for a more fun, youthful nickname. A lovely choice.

For some reason this is the most solid name for boys I've ever come across, I don't know why, it's not my favorite or anything, but if you just say it it's literally substantial. I don't know why.

Charles is an okay name, the nickname Charlie is great and another good nickname for this name is Chas.

I find the name Charles stuffy and cold but I love the nickname Charlie. It is definitely a name a child could grow up with and it has been a timeless classic that has never faded out of popularity. The nickname for Charles I don't like is Chuck or Chuckie.

My grandfather's name was Charles, but he went by Chuck, which I like better than Charlie. It is also my brother's middle name, Timothy Charles, and I think it works better as a middle name than as a first name.

Charles is the name of my French born grandfather and I like this name. It sounds classical and handsome. I also like the nickname Charlie for Charles.

If I were male I think that Charles would be the perfect name for me. I would go by Charlie. My name is Carli and I cannot find that name anywhere. Through alternate spellings and similiar names I've found they all point back to Charles.

I would have thought Charlie was a slightly unfortunate name for a child - in British slang, a charlie is someone who is easily taken in.

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"April in Paris / Here comes a charlie" in the immortal words of Spike Milligan!

I love Charles, I hope to use for my first son. It is a name with history and the nickname of Charlie balances out the seriousness of Charles.

I think this name is awful and old fashioned. And seriously would you want your child having a name that is associated with Prince Charles?