Dictionary

Charles en · PROPN

Pronunciation

• /t͡ʃɑ˞lz/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /t͡ʃɑɹlz/ (General-American)
• /t͡ʃɑːlz/ (Received-Pronunciation)

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.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A male given name from the Germanic languages.
   • […] 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. 1844, Edgar Allan Poe, Thou Art the Man:
   • Charles the Great / Subdued the Saxons, and did seat the French / Beyond the river Sala, in the year / Eight hundred five. 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]:
   • […] 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?" 1988, Ed McBain, The House That Jack Built, page 212:
   • In a statement posted on social media, Bondi said that the man, identified in court documents as 37-year-old Sean Charles Dunn, has since been fired. […] On Wednesday night, the FBI director, Kash Patel, said that Dunn had been charged with felony assault on a federal officer. 2025 August 14, Anna Betts, “Alleged DC sandwich-thrower worked at justice department, attorney general says”, in The Guardian:
   • That the Koch organization can even attempt this pivot to a less political and more bipartisan stance speaks to the power of what Charles and David Koch built. 2019 August 23, Chris Cillizza, “How the Koch brothers fundamentally changed modern politics”, in CNN:
2. (countable, uncountable) A surname originating as a patronymic.
3. (countable, uncountable) A hamlet in Brayford parish, North Devon district, Devon, England (OS grid ref SS6832).
4. (countable, uncountable) A neighbourhood of Providence, Rhode Island, United States.
5. (countable, uncountable) Synonym of Floreana: an island of Galapagos, Ecuador.

Forms

Deriveds

Saint Charles · St. Charles · Charles Town · Prince Charles spaniel · Charles the Great · St Charles · Charleston · Isle de Jean Charles · Lake Charles · Charles City · Charles Mix County · Charlestown · Charles Darwin's frog · Cavalier King Charles Spaniel · Charles Sturt University · Charles Sturt · Charles County · Chas. · King Charles

Relateds

Carrie (feminine forms) · Cathal · Charlene (feminine forms) · Charlie · Charley · Chucky · Carroll · Carly (feminine forms) · Carolean (adjectival forms) · Charlotte (feminine forms) · Chuckie · Carlo (alternate derivation paths) · Carlos (alternate derivation paths) · Chip · Chas · Carla (feminine forms) · Carol (feminine forms) · Karl (alternate derivation paths) · Chaz · Carl (alternate derivation paths) · Chuck · Carole (feminine forms) · Callie (feminine forms) · Caroline (adjectival forms) · Caroline (feminine forms) · Carolina (feminine forms)

Synonyms

Chas. · Floreana

Translations (79)

la Carolus (given name) · cs Karel (given name) · mt Karlu (given name) · eo Karlo (given name) · sl Kárel (given name) · no Karl (given name) · ro Carol (given name) · ja チャールズ シャルル (given name) · lv Kārlis (given name) · lmo Carlo (given name) · mr चार्ल्स (given name) · fi Kaarlo (given name) · nrf Charlot (given name) · fa چارلز (given name) · sk Karol (given name) · kl Kaali (given name) · ko 찰스 (given name) · mk Чарлс (given name) · fr Charles (given name) · he צ׳ארלס (given name) · ar شَارْل (given name) · ga Séarlas (given name) · mt Karmena (given name) · haw Kale (given name) · ru Карл (given name) · de Karl (given name) · pl Karol (given name) · lt Karolis (given name) · cmn 查理 (given name) · ka კარლოსი (given name) · gd Teàrlach (given name) · it Carlo (given name) · da Karl (given name) · uk Карл (given name) · el Κάρολος (given name) · cmn 查爾斯 /查尔斯 (given name) · gv Çhalse (given name) · kl Kaarali (given name) · ar تْشَارْلْز (given name) · ru Чарльз (given name) · iu ᑦᓴᕐᓕᔅ (given name) · bg Чарлз (given name) · nl Charel (given name) · br Charlez (given name) · is Karl (given name) · lmo Carlèto (given name) · scn Carlu (given name) · ru Шарль (given name) · wa Tchåle (given name) · cy Siarl (given name) · sh Charles (given name) · bg Карл (given name) · sv Karl (given name) · an Carlos (given name) · da Carl (given name) · hu Károly (given name) · scn Carru (given name) · bn চার্লস (given name) · ka ჩარლზი (given name) · hi चार्ल्स (given name) · nds-de Korl (given name) · nl Karel (given name) · bg Шарл (given name) · nrf Charles (given name) · fa شارل (given name) · ka კარლი (given name) · sq Karl (given name) · fi Kaarle (given name) · sh Карло (given name) · mi Tāre (given name) · es Carlos (given name) · mt Karmenu (given name) · ca Carles (given name) · pt Carlos (given name) · el Τσαρλς (given name) · sq Kërl (given name) · mk Карл (given name) · ka კარლო (given name) · et Kaarel (given name)

wikipedia: Charles II of England