UK girl's name
Charna
Feminine given name of uncertain origin, possibly a variant of Charna.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2011. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Charna is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Charna popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2011 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5785, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2000, with 4 births.
This profile covers 25 England and Wales registrations across 8 recorded years from 1996 to 2011. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 25 living people in the UK are called Charna. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2012 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Charna ranked #5785 for girls in England and Wales in 2011, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2000, when 4 girls were registered as Charna.
- • About 25 living people in the UK are estimated to have Charna as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5785
2011
Births in 2011
3
Latest year
Peak year
2000
4 births
Estimated living
25
2026
Meaning
What does Charna mean?
The name Charna has its roots in the Sanskrit language, originating from the Indian subcontinent around the 5th century BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "charna," which means "to chew" or "to grind." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone involved in the grinding of grains or spices.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Charna can be found in the ancient Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. In this text, Charna is mentioned as the name of a warrior who fought alongside the Pandava princes during the great battle of Kurukshetra.
During the medieval period, the name Charna gained popularity among certain Hindu communities in India. It was sometimes used as a title or honorific, bestowed upon scholars or learned individuals who had mastered the ancient scriptures and teachings.
One notable figure from history bearing the name Charna was Charna Das, a 16th-century Hindu saint and poet from the region of Bengal. He was renowned for his devotional compositions and his contributions to the Vaishnava bhakti movement.
In the 17th century, Charna Devi, a powerful queen from the Bundela rajput dynasty, ruled over parts of central India. She is remembered for her military prowess and her successful defense of her kingdom against the Mughal Empire.
Another historical figure named Charna was Charna Singh, a 19th-century Sikh warrior and military leader from the Punjab region. He played a significant role in the Sikh struggle against the British East India Company during the Anglo-Sikh Wars.
Moving into the 20th century, Charna Gupta was a prominent Indian freedom fighter and social reformer. She actively participated in the Indian independence movement and worked towards the upliftment of women's rights and education.
It is worth noting that while the name Charna has its roots in Sanskrit and Hindu culture, it has also been adopted and used by other communities and religions across South Asia over the centuries.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Charna over time
The chart below shows babies named Charna registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2011. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Charna, the clearest high point is 2000. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2011, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Charna by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Charna was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #5785 | 3 | 1 |
| 2000s | #4764 | 13 | 4 |
| 1990s | #3840 | 9 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Charna
- Chloe 111,265
- Charlotte 88,733
- Caitlin 28,931
- Courtney 23,162
- Chelsea 13,049
- Clara 9,435
- Connie 8,402
- Catherine 8,376
- Charlie 7,964
- Cerys 7,506
- Casey 7,018
- Cara 6,375
FAQ
Charna: questions and answers
How popular is the name Charna in the UK right now?
In 2011, Charna was ranked #5785 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Charna most popular?
The peak year on record was 2000, with 4 babies registered as Charna in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Charna?
Feminine given name of uncertain origin, possibly a variant of Charna.
How many people are called Charna in the UK?
A total of 25 babies have been registered as Charna across the 8 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.