NameCensus.

UK surname

Charles

A French occupational surname referring to a man, derived from the Germanic name Karl, meaning "free man."

In the 1881 census there were 6,185 people recorded with the Charles surname, ranking it #702 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 11,909, ranked #549, up from #702 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Bedwelty. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Somerset, Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Charles is 12,075 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 92.5%.

1881 census count

6,185

Ranked #702

Modern count

11,909

2016, ranked #549

Peak year

2010

12,075 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Charles had 6,185 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #702 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 11,909 in 2016, ranked #549.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,100 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Charles surname distribution map

The map shows where the Charles surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Charles surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Charles over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 4,601 #607
1861 historical 5,718 #478
1881 historical 6,185 #702
1891 historical 6,930 #650
1901 historical 7,381 #728
1911 historical 8,100 #619
1997 modern 10,712 #578
1998 modern 11,098 #579
1999 modern 11,206 #574
2000 modern 11,107 #580
2001 modern 10,850 #577
2002 modern 11,144 #575
2003 modern 10,966 #570
2004 modern 11,000 #569
2005 modern 10,946 #563
2006 modern 11,087 #553
2007 modern 11,146 #557
2008 modern 11,192 #559
2009 modern 11,670 #552
2010 modern 12,075 #546
2011 modern 11,829 #553
2012 modern 11,649 #555
2013 modern 11,877 #554
2014 modern 11,999 #552
2015 modern 11,909 #551
2016 modern 11,909 #549

Geography

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Where Charles' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Bedwelty and Llanelly. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Somerset, Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea and Pembrokeshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Bedwelty Monmouthshire
5 Llanelly Carmarthenshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Somerset 021 South Somerset
2 Westminster 004 Westminster
3 Westminster 005 Westminster
4 Kensington and Chelsea 004 Kensington and Chelsea
5 Pembrokeshire 009 Pembrokeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Charles

These lists show first names that appear often with the Charles surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Charles

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Charles, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Charles surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Charles household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Charles is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Charles is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Charles falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Charles is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Charles, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Charles

The surname Charles originates from the French language and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Germanic name Karl, which means "free man" or "husband." The name Karl was later Latinized as Carolus, eventually becoming Charles in French.

Charles was a popular name among the Frankish and French nobility, particularly due to the fame of Charlemagne (742-814), the King of the Franks and the first ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. The widespread use of the name Charles among the French aristocracy and royalty contributed significantly to its widespread adoption as a surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Charles can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book lists individuals with the surname Charles residing in various parts of England, indicating the name's early presence in the region.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Charles was often associated with place names, such as Charles de Blois (1319-1364), a French nobleman and claimant to the Duchy of Brittany. In some cases, the surname may have originated from a place name that incorporated the name Charles, such as Charleswood or Charlemont.

Notable historical figures with the surname Charles include:

1. Jacques Alexandre César Charles (1746-1823), a French inventor and scientist best known for his work on gases, including the discovery of Charles' Law.

2. Elizabeth Charles (c. 1828-1896), an English educator and pioneering advocate for women's education, who founded several schools for girls in the 19th century.

3. Pierre Charles L'Enfant (1754-1825), a French-American architect and engineer who designed the basic plan for the city of Washington, D.C.

4. Robert Charles (1886-1917), an American World War I fighter pilot and the first pilot from the United States to be awarded the French Croix de Guerre medal.

5. Toney Charles (1953-2022), an American blues and soul singer and songwriter, known for his distinctive voice and contributions to the Memphis music scene.

The surname Charles has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by notable individuals across various fields, from science and engineering to education and the arts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Charles families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Charles surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 636 Charles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.05x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 636 1.05x
Glamorgan 621 5.91x
Lancashire 411 0.57x
Carmarthenshire 289 11.36x
Yorkshire 272 0.45x
Monmouthshire 256 5.87x
Staffordshire 227 1.11x
Surrey 226 0.77x
Gloucestershire 213 1.80x
Aberdeenshire 197 3.52x
Dorset 155 3.91x
Warwickshire 153 1.00x
Lincolnshire 141 1.46x
Cambridgeshire 132 3.45x
Worcestershire 122 1.55x
Leicestershire 105 1.57x
Devon 103 0.82x
Nottinghamshire 103 1.27x
Pembrokeshire 98 5.11x
Sussex 98 0.96x
Kent 96 0.47x
Herefordshire 92 3.72x
Lanarkshire 90 0.46x
Shropshire 88 1.69x
Denbighshire 81 3.55x
Midlothian 81 1.00x
Durham 77 0.43x
Somerset 73 0.75x
Hampshire 72 0.58x
Northamptonshire 71 1.25x
Brecknockshire 69 5.72x
Fife 59 1.65x
Cornwall 58 0.85x
Cardiganshire 56 3.80x
Essex 52 0.44x
Oxfordshire 52 1.39x
Angus 45 0.80x
Bedfordshire 38 1.22x
Derbyshire 37 0.39x
Montgomeryshire 37 2.67x
Cheshire 35 0.26x
Hertfordshire 32 0.77x
East Lothian 20 2.50x
Cumberland 18 0.35x
Renfrewshire 17 0.36x
Stirlingshire 17 0.76x
Huntingdonshire 16 1.33x
Caernarfonshire 15 0.61x
Anglesey 13 1.22x
Merionethshire 12 1.09x
Northumberland 12 0.13x
Berkshire 10 0.22x
Suffolk 10 0.14x
Wigtownshire 10 1.25x
Berwickshire 9 1.23x
Norfolk 8 0.09x
Royal Navy 8 1.11x
Wiltshire 8 0.15x
Banffshire 6 0.48x
Kincardineshire 4 0.54x
Dumfriesshire 3 0.22x
Dunbartonshire 3 0.18x
Perthshire 3 0.11x
Ross-shire 3 0.18x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.05x
Rutland 2 0.45x
Argyllshire 1 0.06x
Channel Islands 1 0.06x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.20x
Flintshire 1 0.06x
Inverness-shire 1 0.06x
Morayshire 1 0.11x
Peeblesshire 1 0.35x
Radnorshire 1 0.21x
Roxburghshire 1 0.09x
Selkirkshire 1 0.18x
Westmorland 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Llanelly in Carmarthenshire leads with 145 Charles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.30x.

Place Total Index
Llanelly 145 25.30x
Swansea Town 81 9.40x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 74 7.07x
Ystradyfodwg 72 7.81x
Islington London 71 1.21x
St Pancras London 71 1.46x
Birmingham 61 1.20x
West Dean 60 31.19x
Ruabon 58 18.50x
Clase 54 13.82x
Merthyr Tydfil 54 5.34x
Aberdare 52 7.21x
Aberdeen Old Machar 50 4.28x
Leicester St Margaret 48 2.94x
Bedwellty 47 6.10x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 46 1.41x
Camberwell 45 1.17x
St Marylebone London 44 1.37x
Brightside Bierlow 40 3.41x
Everton 38 1.66x
Llangattock 37 37.63x
Govan 35 0.72x
Pembrey 35 29.91x
Llanwonno 34 9.00x
Chelsea London 33 1.81x
Lambeth 32 0.61x
Newington 32 1.43x
Nottingham St Mary 32 1.52x
Toxteth Park 31 1.28x
Aston 29 0.69x
Bromley London 29 2.18x
Kensington London 29 0.86x
Dundee 28 1.34x
Plymouth St Andrew 28 2.89x
Shoreditch London 28 1.07x
Hackney London 27 0.80x
Trevethin 26 6.31x
Bilston 24 6.08x
Kidwelly 24 46.20x
Pembroke St Mary 24 9.71x
Bulwell 23 13.00x
St Woollos 23 4.72x
Clerkenwell London 22 1.54x
Habergham Eaves 22 3.36x
Llansamlet Lower 22 23.12x
Neath 22 10.29x
Roath 22 4.61x
Bermondsey 21 1.17x
Glasgow 21 0.61x
Kingston On Thames 21 2.97x
Leeds 21 0.62x
West Derby 21 1.00x
Sheffield 20 1.05x
Stotfold 20 33.42x
Wednesbury 20 3.93x
Whittington 20 45.80x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 19 1.70x
Cardiff St Mary 19 3.28x
Earls Barton 19 39.22x
Pendleton In Salford 19 2.23x
Scoonie 19 24.55x
St George Hanover Square 19 1.79x
Broadwater 18 7.71x
Poplar London 18 1.58x
Portsea 18 0.74x
Rowley Regis 18 3.17x
Sedgley 18 2.38x
West Ham 18 0.68x
Westoe 18 1.77x
Abbots Bromley 17 56.27x
Abergavenny 17 10.40x
Deptford St Paul 17 1.07x
Histon 17 84.79x
Tranent 17 15.73x
West Lulworth 17 242.51x
Whalley 17 16.28x
Wymeswold 17 87.90x
Bloxham 16 43.76x
Fulham London 16 1.83x
Llangeinor 16 25.85x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Charles surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 384
Elizabeth 243
Sarah 206
Ann 126
Margaret 106
Jane 94
Eliza 79
Annie 72
Alice 71
Ellen 69
Hannah 69
Emma 66
Emily 56
Catherine 47
Martha 45
Anne 40
Maria 39
Fanny 33
Louisa 33
Harriet 32
Florence 31
Caroline 30
Charlotte 29
Kate 22
Edith 21
Clara 18
Gertrude 17
Rose 17
Ada 16
Agnes 16
Frances 16
Rachel 16
Sophia 16
Matilda 15
Amy 14
Esther 14
Harriett 14
Rebecca 14
Susan 14
Jessie 13
Julia 13
Minnie 12
Lucy 11
Ruth 11
Rosa 10
Grace 9
Laura 9
Eleanor 8
Helen 8
Jemima 8

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Charles surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 374
John 326
Thomas 242
James 153
George 124
David 123
Henry 110
Edward 80
Joseph 73
Robert 73
Alfred 59
Arthur 50
Frederick 46
Richard 46
Charles 42
Samuel 40
Walter 40
Frank 32
Albert 29
Daniel 23
Harry 22
Edwin 20
Ernest 20
Wm. 19
Herbert 18
Andrew 17
Francis 15
Evan 13
Benjamin 12
Fredrick 12
Thos. 12
Lewis 11
Peter 11
Hugh 10
Percy 10
Stephen 10
Fred 8
Isaac 8
Edmund 7
Michael 7
Sidney 7
Griffith 6
Morgan 6
Owen 6
Patrick 6
Rees 6
Reuben 6
Tom 6
Geo. 5
Jno. 5

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Charles households.

FAQ

Charles surname: questions and answers

How common was the Charles surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,185 people were recorded with the Charles surname. That placed it at #702 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Charles surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 11,909 in 2016. That gives Charles a modern rank of #549.

What does the Charles surname mean?

A French occupational surname referring to a man, derived from the Germanic name Karl, meaning "free man."

What does the Charles map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Charles bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.