Charles (English)
Where does "Charles" come from?
The name Charles traces its roots to the Proto-Germanic word *karilaz, meaning 'free man.' It evolved through Frankish and Old High German as Karl before being Latinized to Carolus, eventually entering English via Old French. Over time, it became a common name associated with royalty, later finding its way onto maps as a tribute to historical figures.
Full etymology tree
- Charles (English), 'A male given name from the Germanic languages.'
- borrowed Charles (French), 'a male given name, equivalent to English Charles'
- inherited Charles (Old French), 'nominative of Charlon'
- inherited Carles (Old French), 'nominative of Carlon; alternative form of Charles'
- inherited Carolus (Latin), 'a male given name from the Germanic languages'
- influence *karil (Frankish)
- inherited *karilaz (Proto-Germanic), 'free man'
- derived *karaz (Proto-Germanic)
- inherited *ǵerh₂- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to grow old, to mature'
- inherited *karilaz (Proto-Germanic), 'free man'
- influence karal (Old High German)
- inherited *karilaz (Proto-Germanic), 'free man'
- derived *karaz (Proto-Germanic)
- inherited *ǵerh₂- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to grow old, to mature'
- inherited *karilaz (Proto-Germanic), 'free man'
- influence *karil (Frankish)
- inherited Carolus (Latin), 'a male given name from the Germanic languages'
- inherited Carles (Old French), 'nominative of Carlon; alternative form of Charles'
- inherited Charles (Old French), 'nominative of Charlon'
- borrowed Charles (French), 'a male given name, equivalent to English Charles'
Direct ancestors
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris