Charles
English
Etymology
From French Charles, from Old French Charles, Carles, from Latin Carolus, from and also reinfluenced by Frankish and Old High German Karl, from Proto-Germanic *karilaz (“free man”); compare the English word churl and the German Kerl. In reference to the Ecuadorian island, a clipping of the original name King Charles's Island, granted in honor of Charles II of England.
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /t͡ʃɑɹlz/, /t͡ʃɑ˞lz/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /t͡ʃɑːlz/
Audio (Southern England): (file) - Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)lz
Proper noun
Charles (countable and uncountable, plural Charleses)
- A male given name from the Germanic languages.
- 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
- Charles the Great / Subdued the Saxons, and did seat the French / Beyond the river Sala, in the year / Eight hundred five.
- 1844, Edgar Allan Poe, Thou Art the Man:
- […] there never was any person named Charles who was not an open, manly, honest, good-natured, and frank-hearted fellow, with a rich, clear, voice, that did you good to hear it, and an eye that looked at you always straight at the face, as much as to say: "I have a clear conscience myself, am afraid of no man, and am altogether above doing a mean action." And thus all the hearty, careless, 'walking gentlemen' of the stage are very certain to be called Charles.
- 1988, Ed McBain, The House That Jack Built, page 212:
- […] spoke the way the English do, funny, you know? His name was Roger, I think. Or Nigel. Something like that." "How about Charles?" "Charles? Well, yes, it could have been.Charles does sound English, doesn't it? Their prince is named Charles, isn't he?"
- A surname originating as a patronymic.
- A hamlet in Brayford parish, North Devon district, Devon, England (OS grid ref SS6832).
- A neighbourhood of Providence, Rhode Island, United States.
- Synonym of Floreana: an island of Galapagos, Ecuador.
Usage notes
Common given name since the Middle Ages.
Synonyms
- Chas. (abbreviation)
Derived terms
Related terms
- diminutives: Charley, Charlie, Chuck, Chucky, Chuckie, Chas, Chaz, Chip
- variants: Carroll, Cathal
- feminine forms: Carla, Carly, Carol, Carole, Carolina, Caroline, Callie, Carrie, Charlene, Charlotte
- alternate derivation paths: Carlo, Carlos, Carl, Karl
- adjectival forms: Carolean, Caroline
Translations
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Statistics
- According to the 2010 United States Census, Charles is the 548th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 61,211 individuals. Charles is most common among Black (53.0%) individuals.
Anagrams
Cebuano
Etymology
From English Charles, from French Charles, from Old French Charles, Carles, from Latin Carolus, from and also reinfluenced by Old High German Karl, from Proto-Germanic *karlaz (“free man”).
Proper noun
Charles
- a male given name from French
Quotations
For quotations using this term, see Citations:Charles.
French
Etymology
From Old French Charles, Carles, from Latin Carolus, from Germanic.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ʃaʁl/
Proper noun
Charles m
- a male given name, equivalent to English Charles
Derived terms
Descendants
Norman
Proper noun
Charles m
- a male given name
Synonyms
Related terms
Old French
Alternative forms
Etymology
See Charlon.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃaɾləs/
Proper noun
Charles m
- nominative of Charlon
Descendants
Portuguese
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from French Charles or English Charles. Doublet of Carlos.
Pronunciation
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈʃaʁ.lis/ [ˈʃaɦ.lis]
- (São Paulo) IPA(key): /ˈʃaɾ.lis/
- (Rio de Janeiro) IPA(key): /ˈʃaʁ.liʃ/
- (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈʃaɻ.les/
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /ˈʃaɾ.lɨʃ/
- (Northern Portugal) IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃaɾ.lɨʃ/
Proper noun
Charles m
- a male given name
Swedish
Pronunciation
Audio: (file)
Proper noun
Charles c (genitive Charles)
- a male given name borrowed from English and French