Charles is a masculine

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

predominantly found in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in

runic alphabet Runes are the letters in a set of related alphabets known as runic alphabets native to the Germanic peoples. Runes were used to write various Germanic languages (with some exceptions) before they adopted the Latin alphabet, and for specialised ...

) or ''*karilaz'' (in

Latin alphabet The Latin alphabet or Roman alphabet is the collection of letters originally used by the ancient Romans to write the Latin language. Largely unaltered with the exception of extensions (such as diacritics), it used to write English and the o ...

), whose meaning was "free man". The

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

descendant of this word was '' Ċearl'' or ''Ċeorl'', as the name of King

Cearl of Mercia Cearl (or Ceorl) was an early king of Mercia who ruled during the early part of the 7th century, until about 626. He is the first Mercian king mentioned by Bede in his '' Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum''. Bede was a Northumbrian who was hos ...

, that disappeared after the

Norman conquest of England The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, Duchy of Brittany, Breton, County of Flanders, Flemish, and Kingdom of France, French troops, ...

. The name was notably borne by

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...

(Charles the Great), and was at the time Latinized as ''Karolus'' (as in ''

Vita Karoli Magni ''Vita Karoli Magni'' (''Life of Charlemagne'') is a biography of Charlemagne, King of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor, written by Einhard.Ogg, p. 109 The ''Life of Charlemagne'' is a 33 chapter long account starting with the full of the Mero ...

''), later also as '' Carolus''. Some Germanic languages, for example

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

and

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, have retained the word in two separate senses. In the particular case of Dutch, ''Karel'' refers to the

, whereas the noun ''kerel'' means "a bloke, fellow, man".

Etymology

The name's etymology is a

Common Germanic Proto-Germanic (abbreviated PGmc; also called Common Germanic) is the reconstructed proto-language of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages. Proto-Germanic eventually developed from pre-Proto-Germanic into three Germanic branc ...

noun ''*karilaz'' meaning "free man", which survives in English as

churl A churl (Old High German ), in its earliest Old English (Anglo-Saxon) meaning, was simply "a man" or more particularly a "free man", but the word soon came to mean "a non-servile peasant", still spelled , and denoting the lowest rank of freemen. Ac ...

(< Old English ''ċeorl''), which developed its deprecating sense in the

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English p ...

period. In the form ''Charles'', the initial spelling ''ch-'' corresponds to the palatalization of the Latin group ''ca-'' to ʃain Central Old French (

Francien Francien is a 19th-century term in linguistics that was applied to the French dialect that was spoken in the Île-de-France region (with Paris at its centre) before the establishment of the French language as a standard language."Ce terme est un ...

) and the final ''-s'' to the former subjective case (cas sujet) of

masculine Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some behaviors con ...

names in

Old French Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligib ...

like in Giles or

James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

(< Latin ''-us'', see Spanish/ Portuguese ''Carlos''). According to

Julius Pokorny Julius Pokorny (12 June 1887 – 8 April 1970) was an Austrian-Czech linguist and scholar of the Celtic languages, particularly Irish, and a supporter of Irish nationalism. He held academic posts in Austrian and German universities. Early life a ...

, the historical linguist and

Indo-Europeanist Indo-European studies is a field of linguistics and an interdisciplinary field of study dealing with Indo-European languages, both current and extinct. The goal of those engaged in these studies is to amass information about the hypothetical pro ...

, the root meaning of Charles is "old man", from

Indo-European The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the overwhelming majority of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and the northern Indian subcontinent. Some European languages of this family, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Dutch ...

* ĝer-, where the ĝ is a

palatal consonant Palatals are consonants articulated with the body of the tongue raised against the hard palate (the middle part of the roof of the mouth). Consonants with the tip of the tongue curled back against the palate are called retroflex. Characteristic ...

, meaning "to rub; to be old; grain." An old man has been worn away and is now grey with age. In some

Slavic languages The Slavic languages, also known as the Slavonic languages, are Indo-European languages spoken primarily by the Slavic peoples and their descendants. They are thought to descend from a proto-language called Proto-Slavic, spoken during the Ear ...

, 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 A false etymology (fake etymology, popular etymology, etymythology, pseudo-etymology, or par(a)etymology) is a popular but false belief about the origin or derivation of a specific word. It is sometimes called a folk etymology, but this is also a ...

deriving ''Carl'' from

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''carus'' 'dear'. Examples are the Slovene politician

Karel Dežman Karel Dežman, also known as Dragotin Dežman and Karl Deschmann (3 January 1821 – 11 March 1889), was a Carniolan liberal politician and natural scientist. He was one of the most prominent personalities of the political, cultural, and sc ...

(1821–1889), also known as ''Dragotin Dežman'', and the Slovene historian

Dragotin Lončar Dragotin Lončar (November 5, 1876 – July 29, 1954) was a Slovenian historian, editor, and Social Democratic politician. He was born in Selo near Lukovica pri Domžalah in Upper Carniola and baptized Carl Lonzhar. After graduating from the ...

(1876–1954), baptized ''Carl''.

History

Early Middle Ages

The name is atypical for

Germanic name Germanic given names are traditionally dithematic; that is, they are formed from two elements, by joining a prefix and a suffix. For example, King Æþelred's name was derived from ', for "noble", and ', for "counsel". However, there are al ...

s 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 Germanic kingship is a thesis regarding the role of kings among the pre-Christianized Germanic tribes of the Migration period (c. 300–700 AD) and Early Middle Ages (c. 700–1,000 AD). The thesis holds that the institution of feudal mon ...

, but it is attested as such with

(fl. 620), the first Mercian king mentioned by

Bede Bede ( ; ang, Bǣda , ; 672/326 May 735), also known as Saint Bede, The Venerable Bede, and Bede the Venerable ( la, Beda Venerabilis), was an English monk at the monastery of St Peter and its companion monastery of St Paul in the Kingdom o ...

in his ''

Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum The ''Ecclesiastical History of the English People'' ( la, Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum), written by Bede in about AD 731, is a history of the Christian Churches in England, and of England generally; its main focus is on the conflict be ...

''. 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 Mul ( ang, Mūl, literally "mule") (died 687) was an Anglo-Saxon ruler of the Kingdom of Kent in England. Biography The name Mul is very unusual and it has been postulated that it derives from the Latin ''mulus'' meaning mule, a word which is k ...

(7th century) which simply translates to "mule".

Charles Martel Charles Martel ( – 22 October 741) was a Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. He was a son of the Frankish statesma ...

(686–741) was an illegitimate son of

Pepin of Herstal Pepin II (c. 635 – 16 December 714), commonly known as Pepin of Herstal, was a Frankish statesman and military leader who de facto ruled Francia as the Mayor of the Palace from 680 until his death. He took the title Duke and Prince of the Fr ...

, and therefore indeed a "free man", but not of noble rank. After his victory at the

Battle of Soissons (718) The Battle of Soissons of 718 CE was the last of the great pitched battles of the civil war between the heirs of Pepin of Heristal. Since Pepin's death in December 714, his grandson and heir Theudoald, his widow Plectrude, his bastard son Charle ...

, Charles Martel styled himself

Duke of the Franks The title Duke of the Franks ( la, dux Francorum) has been used for three different offices, always with "duke" implying military command and "prince" implying something approaching sovereign or regalian rights. The term "Franks" may refer to an ...

. 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 The ''Chronicle of Fredegar'' is the conventional title used for a 7th-century Frankish chronicle that was probably written in Burgundy. The author is unknown and the attribution to Fredegar dates only from the 16th century. The chronicle begins ...

'' names an earlier ''Carloman'' as the father of

Pepin of Landen Pepin I (also Peppin, Pipin, or Pippin) of Landen (c. 580 – 27 February 640), also called the Elder or the Old, was the Mayor of the palace of Austrasia under the Merovingian King Dagobert I from 623 to 629. He was also the Mayor for Sig ...

, 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).

(742–814) was Charles Martel's grandson. After Charlemagne's reign, the name became irrevocably connected with him and his

Carolingian dynasty The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippin ...

. 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 Charles the Younger or Charles of Ingelheim (c. 772 – 4 December 811) was a member of the Carolingian dynasty, the second son of Charlemagne and the first by his second wife, Hildegard of Swabia and brother of Louis the Pious and Pepin Carloman ...

died without issue, but the name resurfaces repeatedly within the 9th-century Carolingian family tree, so with

Charles the Bald Charles the Bald (french: Charles le Chauve; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as Charles II, was a 9th-century king of West Francia (843–877), king of Italy (875–877) and emperor of the Carolingian Empire (875–877). After a ser ...

(823–877),

Charles the Fat Charles III (839 – 13 January 888), also known as Charles the Fat, was the emperor of the Carolingian Empire from 881 to 888. A member of the Carolingian dynasty, Charles was the youngest son of Louis the German and Hemma, and a great-grandso ...

(839–888)

Charles of Provence Charles of Provence or Charles II (845 – 25 January 863) was the Carolingian King of Provence from 855 until his early death in 863. Charles was the youngest son of Emperor Lothair I and Ermengarde of Tours. His father divided Middle Fra ...

(845–863),

Charles the Child Charles the Child (Latin ''Karolus puer'', from the ''Annales Bertiniani''; 847/848, Frankfurt am Main – 29 September 866, Buzançais) was the King of Aquitaine from October 855 until his death in 866. He was the second son of Charles the Bald a ...

(847/848–866) and

Charles the Simple Charles III (17 September 879 – 7 October 929), called the Simple or the Straightforward (from the Latin ''Carolus Simplex''), was the king of West Francia from 898 until 922 and the king of Lotharingia from 911 until 919–923. He was a memb ...

(879–929).

Later Middle Ages and Early Modern history

The name survives into the High Middle Ages (

Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine Charles (953 – 22 June 992×995) was the Duke of Lower Lorraine from 977 until his death. Life Born at Reims in the summer of 953, Charles was the son of Louis IV of France and Gerberga of Saxony and the younger brother of King Lothair. He wa ...

;

Charles, Count of Valois Charles of Valois (12 March 1270 – 16 December 1325), the fourth son of King Philip III of France and Isabella of Aragon, was a member of the House of Capet and founder of the House of Valois, whose rule over France would start in 1328 ...

;

Charles I, Count of Flanders Charles the Good (10842 March 1127) was Count of Flanders from 1119 to 1127. His murder and its aftermath were chronicled by Galbert of Bruges. He was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1882 through ''cultus'' ''confirmation''. Early life Charles w ...

(Charles the Good, beatified in 1882);

Charles I of Naples Charles I (early 1226/12277 January 1285), commonly called Charles of Anjou, was a member of the royal Capetian dynasty and the founder of the second House of Anjou. He was Count of Provence (1246–85) and Forcalquier (1246–48, 1256–85) i ...

;

Charles I of Hungary Charles I, also known as Charles Robert ( hu, Károly Róbert; hr, Karlo Robert; sk, Karol Róbert; 128816 July 1342) was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1308 to his death. He was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou and the only son of ...

Karl Sverkersson Charles VII or Carl (Swedish: ''Karl Sverkersson''; c. 1130 – 12 April 1167) was ruler of Götaland, and then King of Sweden from c. 1161 to 1167, when he was assassinated in a military attack by Knut Eriksson who succeeded him as Canute I. He ...

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 Charles IV ( cs, Karel IV.; german: Karl IV.; la, Carolus IV; 14 May 1316 – 29 November 1378''Karl IV''. In: (1960): ''Geschichte in Gestalten'' (''History in figures''), vol. 2: ''F–K''. 38, Frankfurt 1963, p. 294), also known as Charle ...

(1316–1378, counted as "the fourth" after Charlemagne, Charles the Bald and Charles the Fat) and in France with

Charles IV of France Charles IV (18/19 June 1294 – 1 February 1328), called the Fair (''le Bel'') in France and the Bald (''el Calvo'') in Navarre, was last king of the direct line of the House of Capet, King of France and King of Navarre (as Charles I) from 132 ...

(1294–1328, "the fourth" after Charlemagne, Charles the Bald and Charles the Simple), and becomes comparatively widespread in the

Late Middle Ages The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the Periodization, period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Eur ...

(

Charles I, Duke of Savoy Charles I (28 March 1468 Carignano, Piedmont, Carignano, Piedmont – 13 March 1490 Pinerolo), called the Warrior, was the Duke of Savoy from 1482 to 1490 and titular Kingdom of Cyprus, king of Cyprus, Kings of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, and Monarc ...

Charles III, Duke of Savoy Charles III of Savoy (10 October 1486 – 17 August 1553), often called Charles the Good, was Duke of Savoy from 1504 to 1553, although most of his lands were ruled by the French between 1536 and his death. Biography He was a younger son of P ...

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (Crown of Castile, Castil ...

(1500–1558) gives rise to a tradition of Charlses in Habsburg Spain (

Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor , house = Habsburg , spouse = , issue = , issue-link = #Children , issue-pipe = , father = Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor , mother = Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg , birth_date ...

Charles II of Spain Charles II of Spain (''Spanish: Carlos II,'' 6 November 1661 – 1 November 1700), known as the Bewitched (''Spanish: El Hechizado''), was the last Habsburg ruler of the Spanish Empire. Best remembered for his physical disabilities and the War o ...

Charles III of Spain it, Carlo Sebastiano di Borbone e Farnese , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Philip V of Spain , mother = Elisabeth Farnese , birth_date = 20 January 1716 , birth_place = Royal Alcazar of Madrid, Spain , death_d ...

Charles IV of Spain , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Charles III of Spain , mother =Maria Amalia of Saxony , birth_date =11 November 1748 , birth_place =Palace of Portici, Portici, Naples , death_date = , death_place = ...

). The numbering scheme for the

kings of Sweden This is a list of Swedish kings, queens, regents and viceroys of the Kalmar Union. History The earliest record of what is generally considered to be a Swedish king appears in Tacitus' work ''Germania'', c. 100 AD (the king of the Suiones). Howe ...

was continued in modern times with

Charles X Charles X (born Charles Philippe, Count of Artois; 9 October 1757 – 6 November 1836) was King of France from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. An uncle of the uncrowned Louis XVII and younger brother to reigning kings Louis XVI and Loui ...

Charles XI Charles XI or Carl ( sv, Karl XI; ) was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in a period of Swedish history known as the Swedish Empire (1611–1721). He was the only son of King Charles X Gustav of Sweden and Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein- ...

Charles XII Charles XII, sometimes Carl XII ( sv, Karl XII) or Carolus Rex (17 June 1682 – 30 November 1718 O.S.), was King of Sweden (including current Finland) from 1697 to 1718. He belonged to the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, a branch line of t ...

Charles XIII Charles XIII, or Carl XIII ( sv, Karl XIII, 7 October 1748 – 5 February 1818), was King of Sweden from 1809 and King of Norway from 1814 to his death. He was the second son (and younger brother to King Gustav III) of King Adolf Frederick of Sw ...

Charles XIV Charles XIV John ( sv, Karl XIV Johan; born Jean Bernadotte; 26 January 1763 – 8 March 1844) was King of Sweden and King of Norway, Norway from 1818 until his death in 1844. Before his reign he was a Marshal of France during the Napoleonic Wars a ...

and

Charles XV Charles XV also Carl (''Carl Ludvig Eugen''); Swedish: ''Karl XV'' and Norwegian: ''Karl IV'' (3 May 1826 – 18 September 1872) was King of Sweden (''Charles XV'') and Norway, there often referred to as Charles IV, from 8 July 1859 until his dea ...

Charles I of England Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until Execution of Charles I, his execution in 1649. He was born into the House of Stuart as the second son of King James VI of ...

(1600–1649) is followed by

Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of England, Scotland and Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest surviving child of ...

(1630–1685). The

Province of Carolina Province of Carolina was a province of England (1663–1707) and Great Britain (1707–1712) that existed in North America and the Caribbean from 1663 until partitioned into North and South on January 24, 1712. It is part of present-day Alaba ...

is named during the rule of Charles II, after Charles I.

Charles III Philip, Elector Palatine Charles III Philip (4 November 1661 – 31 December 1742) was Elector Palatine, Count of Palatinate-Neuburg, and Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1716 to 1742. Until 1728 he was also Count of Megen. Biography Born in Neuburg an der Donau, Charles Phi ...

(1661–1742).

Modern history

Carlism Carlism ( eu, Karlismo; ca, Carlisme; ; ) is a Traditionalist and Legitimist political movement in Spain aimed at establishing an alternative branch of the Bourbon dynasty – one descended from Don Carlos, Count of Molina (1788–1855) – ...

is a political movement in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

seeking the establishment of a separate line of the

Bourbon Bourbon may refer to: Food and drink * Bourbon whiskey, an American whiskey made using a corn-based mash * Bourbon barrel aged beer, a type of beer aged in bourbon barrels * Bourbon biscuit, a chocolate sandwich biscuit * A beer produced by Bras ...

family on the

Spanish throne , coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg , coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain , image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg , incumbent = Felipe VI , incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...

. This line descended from

Infante Carlos, Count of Molina ''Infante'' (, ; f. ''infanta''), also anglicised as Infant or translated as Prince, is the title and rank given in the Iberian kingdoms of Spain (including the predecessor kingdoms of Aragon, Castile, Navarre, and León) and Portugal to th ...

(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 House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a European dynasty of French origin, a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Spanis ...

. The movement was at its strongest in the 1830s, causing the

Carlist Wars The Carlist Wars () were a series of civil wars that took place in Spain during the 19th century. The contenders fought over claims to the throne, although some political differences also existed. Several times during the period from 1833 to 187 ...

, and had a revival following Spain's defeat in the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

in 1898, and lasted until the end of the

Franco Franco may refer to: Name * Franco (name) * Francisco Franco (1892–1975), Spanish general and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975 * Franco Luambo (1938–1989), Congolese musician, the "Grand Maître" Prefix * Franco, a prefix used when ref ...

regime in 1975 as a social and political force Charles Floyd (1782–1804) was the only casualty in the

Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gro ...

Charles DeRudio Charles Camillo DeRudio (born Carlo Camillo Di Rudio; August 26, 1832 – November 1, 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 Regiment at t ...

(1832–1910) was an Italian aristocrat, would-be assassin of

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...

, and later a career U.S. Army officer who fought in the

7th U.S. Cavalry The 7th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment formed in 1866. Its official nickname is "Garryowen", after the Irish air " Garryowen" that was adopted as its march tune. The regiment participated in some of the largest ba ...

at the

Battle of the Little Bighorn The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and also commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Nor ...

Charles Albert Varnum Charles Albert Varnum (June 21, 1849 – February 26, 1936) was a career United States Army officer. He was most noted as the commander of the scouts for George Armstrong Custer in the Little Bighorn Campaign (of which he was the last of the sur ...

(1849–1936) was the commander of the scouts in the Little Bighorn Campaign and received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

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 been among the top 400 male given names in the United States in the 1880s and again in the 1930s, but since then it has declined steadily, dropping out of the top 1,000 by the 1970s. By contrast, it remains among the top 100 names given in England and Wales; the current

King of the United Kingdom The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiwi ...

and the other Commonwealth realms,

Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

, is a notable bearer of the name.

Derived feminine names

Caroline and Charlotte are feminine given names derived from ''Carl''.

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

is late medieval, e.g.

Charlotte of Savoy Charlotte of Savoy (c. 1441/3 – 1 December 1483) was Queen of France as the second spouse of Louis XI. She served as regent during the king's absence in 1465, and was a member of the royal regency council during her son's minority in 1483. Lif ...

(1441–1483),

Charlotte of Cyprus Charlotte (28 June 1444 – 16 July 1487) was the Queen of Cyprus from 1458 until 1464. She was the eldest and only surviving daughter of King John II of Cyprus and Helena Palaiologina. At the age of 14, she succeeded to the Cypriot throne upon ...

(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 , father = John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach , mother = Princess Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach , birth_date = , birth_place = Ansbach, Principality of Ansbach, Holy Roman Empire , death_date = , death_place = St James's Pala ...

(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 Bulgarian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria * Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group * Bulgarian language, a Slavic language * Bulgarian alphabet * A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria * Bul ...

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

), a name which dates from early Italy. Regional forms: ** Carolina (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Bulgarian) ** Caroline (English, French, Swedish, Danish, Dutch) **

Carolyn Carolyn is a female given name, a variant of Caroline. Other spellings include Karolyn, Carolyne, Carolynn or Carolynne. Caroline itself is one of the feminine forms of Charles. List of Notable People *Carolyn Bennett (born 1950), Canadian pol ...

(English) ** Carlijn (Dutch) ** Karoliina (Finnish) ** Karolina (Bulgarian, Polish, Swedish) ** Karolína (Czech) ** Karoline (Danish, Norwegian, Swedish) ** Karolina (Каролина) (Russian) ** Keraleyn (קעראַליין) (Yiddish) ** Carly (American) ** Carol (English) *

Carola Carola is a female given name, the Latinized form of the Germanic given names Caroline or Carol. People named Carola include: Acting * Carola Braunbock (1924–1978), Czech-born East German actress *Carola Höhn (1910–2005), German actres ...

(German, Swedish) **

Carole Carole is a feminine given name (see Carl for more information) and occasionally a surname. Carole may refer to: Given name * Carole B. Balin (born 1964), American Reform rabbi, professor of Jewish history *Carole Bayer Sager (born 1947), America ...

(English, French, Portuguese) ** Karol (קאַראָל) (

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...

) ** Kyārōla (क्यारोल) ( Nepali) ** Kerol (Керол) (Serbian), (Russian) * Charlotte (English, French, German, Swedish, Danish, Dutch) ** Carlota (Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan) ** Carlotta (Italian) ** Charlotta (Swedish) *

Carla Carla is the feminized version of Carl, Carlos or Charles, from ''ceorl'' in Old English, which means "free man". Notable people with the name include: * Carla, French singer and former member of the children's music group Kids United * Carla Abe ...

** Charla (English) ** Karla (Bulgarian, German, Scandinavian, Serbian, Czech, Croatian) ** Карла (Bulgarian, Russian, Serbian) *

Charlene (given name) Charlene, also spelled Charleen and Charlyne, is a feminine given name, a feminine form of ''Charles'' coined in the United States in the nineteenth century; from French ''Charles'', from Old French ''Charles'' & ''Carles'', from the Latin ''Car ...

, Charlène

Regional forms of the name

List of notable people

Media, arts and entertainment

;In literature ;In music ;In film ;In television ;In visual arts ;Other areas of media, arts and entertainment

Athletes

In politics

In religion

Saints

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

, recognized as a saint in the Anglican confession only. In Roman Catholicism, the best known Saint Charles is

Charles Borromeo Charles Borromeo ( it, Carlo Borromeo; la, Carolus Borromeus; 2 October 1538 – 3 November 1584) was the Archbishop of Milan from 1564 to 1584 and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was a leading figure of the Counter-Reformation combat a ...

(1538–1584), an Italian cardinal, canonized by

Pope Paul V Pope Paul V ( la, Paulus V; it, Paolo V) (17 September 1550 – 28 January 1621), born Camillo Borghese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 16 May 1605 to his death in January 1621. In 1611, he honored ...

in 1606.

Charles, Duke of Brittany Charles of Blois-Châtillon (131929 September 1364), nicknamed "the Saint", was the legalist Duke of Brittany from 1341 until his death, via his marriage to Joan, Duchess of Brittany and Countess of Penthièvre, holding the title against the cl ...

(1319–1364) had been canonized after his death, but

Pope Gregory XI Pope Gregory XI ( la, Gregorius, born Pierre Roger de Beaufort; c. 1329 – 27 March 1378) was head of the Catholic Church from 30 December 1370 to his death in March 1378. He was the seventh and last Avignon pope and the most recent French pope ...

annulled this.

Charles the Good Charles the Good (10842 March 1127) was Count of Flanders from 1119 to 1127. His murder and its aftermath were chronicled by Galbert of Bruges. He was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1882 through ''cultus'' ''confirmation''. Early life Charles w ...

(d. 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 Charles of Sezze (19 October 1613 – 6 January 1670) - born Giancarlo Marchioni - was an Italian professed religious from the Order of Friars Minor. He became a religious despite the opposition of his parents who wanted him to become a priest a ...

(1616–1670), Franciscan lay brother *1964: Saint

Charles Lwanga Charles Lwanga (Luganda: Kaloli Lwanga; 1 January 18603 June 1886) was a Ugandan convert to the Catholic Church who was martyred with a group of his peers and is revered as a saint by both the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. A memb ...

(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 Charles of Mount Argus (11 December 1821 – 5 January 1893), was a Dutch Passionist priest who served in 19th-century Ireland. He gained a reputation for his compassion for the sick and those in need of guidance. His reputation for healings ...

(1821–1818), Passionist Dutch priest who worked in Ireland Beatified: *1867: Blessed

Charles Spinola Charles Spinola (1564 – 10 September 1622), also known as Carlo Spinola, was a Jesuit missionary from Genoa, Italy, martyred in Japan as a missionary. Life Charles (or Carlo) Spinola was born in January 1564 in Genoa, Italy, the son of Ottavi ...

(1564–1622), Genoese nobleman *2004: Blessed

Charles I of Austria Charles I or Karl I (german: Karl Franz Josef Ludwig Hubert Georg Otto Maria, hu, Károly Ferenc József Lajos Hubert György Ottó Mária; 17 August 18871 April 1922) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary (as Charles IV, ), King of Croatia, ...

(1887-1922), last emperor of

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

, king of

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

, etc.

Church leaders

Charles Wesley Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788) was an English leader of the Methodist movement. Wesley was a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime. His works include " And Can It Be", " Christ the Lord Is Risen ...

(1707–1788), co-founder of the Methodist movement and writer of thousands of hymns *

Charles Grandison Finney Charles Grandison Finney (August 29, 1792 – August 16, 1875) was an American Presbyterian minister and leader in the Second Great Awakening in the United States. He has been called the "Father of Old Revivalism." Finney rejected much of trad ...

(1792–1875), a leader of the Second Great Awakening in America *

Charles W. Penrose Charles William Penrose (4 February 1832 – 16 May 1925) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1904 to 1911. Penrose was also a member of the First Presidency, se ...

(1832–1925), leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints *

Charles Haddon Spurgeon Charles Haddon Spurgeon (19 June 1834 – 31 January 1892) was an English Particular Baptist preacher. Spurgeon remains highly influential among Christians of various denominations, among whom he is known as the "Prince of Preachers". He wa ...

(1834–1892), Reformed Baptist preacher *

Charles Harrison Mason Bishop Charles Harrison Mason Sr. (September 8, 1866 – November 17, 1961) was an American Holiness–Pentecostal pastor and minister. He was the founder and first Senior Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, based in Memphis, Tennessee. It d ...

(1866–1961),

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

preacher A preacher is a person who delivers sermons or homilies on religious topics to an assembly of people. Less common are preachers who preach on the street, or those whose message is not necessarily religious, but who preach components such as a ...

and founder of the

Church of God in Christ The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is a Holiness–Pentecostal Christian denomination, and the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States. Although an international and multi-ethnic religious organization, it has a predominantly Bl ...

Nobility

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

Charles d'Ursel Charles-Marie-Leon, Count d'Ursel (1848–1903) was a Belgian politician of the Catholic Party. Family He was a grandson of Charles-Joseph, 4th Duke d'Ursel, a brother of Hippolyte d'Ursel and Aymard d'Ursel. He married Genevieve le Roux and ha ...

Charles-Joseph, 4th Duke d'Ursel Charles-Joseph, 4th Duke d'Ursel and of Hoboken, Prince of Arches and Charleville and Count of Grobbendoncq (9 August 1777 – 27 September 1860) was a statesman and minister in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and later Belgium.

Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Charles (German: ''Karl''; 1 August 1713, Braunschweig – 26 March 1780, Braunschweig), Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Bevern line), reigned as Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel from 1735 until his death. Life Charles was the eldest son of ...

(1713–1780) *

(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) *

(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 *

(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 *

(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 (b. 1938), former King of Spain *Charles III, Charles III, King of the United Kingdom (b. 1948), eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Scientists

Other

;Architecture *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 *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 Zadok (1897–1984), American businessman, art collector and patron ;Military personnel *Charles Upham, most-decorated Commonwealth serviceman of World War Two ;Criminals *Charles Bronson (prisoner), Charles A. Salvador (born Michael Peterson; 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 (convict), Charles Hudspeth, American man convicted of murder *Murder of the Lawson family, Charles "Charlie" Lawson, American mass murderer and family annihilator *Charles Manson, American cult leader, convicted murder conspirator *Carl Panzram, 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

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

References

{{Authority control English given names English masculine given names English-language masculine given names French masculine given names Given names