Charly is a name of French origin, derived from the given name Charles. It means "free man" or "strong." The name Charles has been used in France since the Middle Ages and was popularized by Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great, who ruled over much of Europe during the 9th century.
Charly is a diminutive form of Charles and has been used as a given name itself for several centuries. It gained popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in France and other French-speaking countries.
The name Charly is often associated with creativity and individuality. Many notable people have carried this name throughout history, including French writer Charly Gaul (1864-1945), Swiss artist Charles L'Eplattenier known as Charly (1874-1948), and French-American singer-songwriter Charly Garcia (born 1951). These individuals have contributed significantly to their respective fields, further enriching the legacy of the name Charly.
The name Charly has a fascinating history when it comes to its popularity among parents choosing names for their newborns in the United States. According to historical records, there were only five births with the name Charly in 1884 and again in 1887, indicating that this name was quite uncommon during these periods.
However, there seems to have been a slight increase in its popularity between 1890 and 1922, with six births recorded in 1912 and seven births in 1917. This trend continued through the mid-20th century, with five births occurring annually from 1942 to 1962.
Interestingly, starting from 1969 onwards, we begin to see a more significant rise in the number of Charly births each year. In just one decade (from 1974 to 1984), there were seven years with five or more births registered under this name. The highest numbers during these years were eight births in 1984 and nine births in 1986.
The trend continued into the late 20th century, peaking at twenty-two births in 1996 and thirty-three births in 1998. This marked a significant increase compared to previous decades, indicating that Charly was gaining traction as a popular boys' name during this time.
Entering the new millennium, the popularity of the name Charly remained steady with forty-five births recorded in 2001 alone. It continued to fluctuate over subsequent years but generally maintained its status quo until recent times.
Since 2016, there has been a renewed interest in naming children Charly. There were twenty-one births each year from 2016 to 2017, and this number increased again to thirty births in both 2018 and 2020. Most recently, forty-four births were recorded under the name Charly in 2022.
In total, across all these years, there have been 1,260 births registered with the name Charly in the United States. This statistic highlights how, despite its slow start and periods of fluctuating popularity, Charly has ultimately proven to be a enduring and distinctive choice among parents when naming their newborn sons.