# Charles

Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form Charles of the Proto-Germanic name ᚲᚨᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ (in runic alphabet) or *karilaz (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "free man". The Old English descendant of this word was Ċearl or Ċeorl, as the name of King Cearl of Mercia, that disappeared after the Norman conquest of England.
The name was notably borne by Charlemagne (Charles the Great), and was at the time Latinized as Karolus (as in Vita Karoli Magni), later also as Carolus.

## Etymology

The name's etymology is a Common Germanic noun *karilaz meaning "free man", which survives in English as churl (< Old English ċeorl), which developed its deprecating sense in the Middle English period.
Some Germanic languages, for example Dutch and German, have retained the word in two separate senses. In the particular case of Dutch, Karel refers to the given name, whereas the noun kerel means "a bloke, fellow, man".
In the form Charles, the initial spelling ch- corresponds to the palatalization of the Latin group ca- to [tʃa] in Central Old French (Francien) and the final -s to the former subjective case (cas sujet) of masculine names in Old French like in Giles or James (< Latin -us, see Spanish/ Portuguese Carlos).
According to Julius Pokorny, the historical linguist and Indo-Europeanist, the root meaning of Charles is "old man", from Indo-European *ĝer-, where the ĝ is a palatal consonant, meaning "to rub; to be old; grain." An old man has been worn away and is now grey with age.
In some Slavic languages, the name Drago (and variants: Dragomir, Dragoslav, etc., all based on the root drag 'dear') has been used as an equivalent for Charles (Karel, etc.). This is based on the false etymology deriving Carl from Latin carus 'dear'. Examples are the Slovene politician Karel Dežman (1821–1889), also known as Dragotin Dežman, and the Slovene historian Dragotin Lončar (1876–1954), baptized Carl.

## History
### Early Middle Ages

The name is atypical for Germanic names as it is not composed of two elements, but simply a noun meaning "(free) man". This meaning of ceorl contrasts with eorl (Old Norse jarl) "nobleman" on one hand and with þeow (Old Norse þræll) "bondsman, slave" on the other. As such it would not seem a likely candidate for the name of a Germanic king, but it is attested as such with Cearl of Mercia (fl. 620), the first Mercian king mentioned by Bede in his Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum. It is a peculiarity of the Anglo-Saxon royal names that many of the rulers of the earliest period (6th to 7th centuries) have monothematic (simplex) names, while the standard dithematic (compounded) names become almost universal from the 8th century. Compare the name of King Mul of Kent (7th century) which simply translates to "mule".
Charles Martel, the son of Pepin of Herstal and Alpaida, was either illegitimate or the product of a bigamous marriage, and therefore indeed a "free man", but not of noble rank. After his victory at the Battle of Soissons (718), Charles Martel styled himself Duke of the Franks. Charles' eldest son was named Carloman (c. 710 – 754), a rare example of the element carl- occurring in a compound name. The Chronicle of Fredegar names an earlier Carloman as the father of Pepin of Landen, and thus the great-great-grandfather of the Charles Martel. This would place the name Carloman in the 6th century, and open the possibility that the Frankish name Carl may originate as a short form of Carloman. The only other compound name with the Carl- prefix is Carlofred (Carlefred), attested in the 7th century; as a suffix, it occurs in the rare names Altcarl and Gundecarl (9th and 11th centuries, respectively).
Charlemagne (742–814) was Charles Martel's grandson. After Charlemagne's reign, the name became irrevocably connected with him and his Carolingian dynasty. After Charlemagne, the name Charles (Karol) became even the standard word for "king" in Slavic (Czech and Slovak král, Polish król; South Slavic kral крал, krȃlj краљ; Russian король), Baltic (Latvian karalis, Lithuanian karalius) and Hungarian (király).
Charlemagne's son Charles the Younger died without issue, but the name resurfaces repeatedly within the 9th-century Carolingian family tree, so with Charles the Bald (823–877), Charles the Fat (839–888) Charles of Provence (845–863), Charles the Child (847/848–866) and Charles the Simple (879–929).

### Later Middle Ages and Early Modern history

The name survives into the High Middle Ages (Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine; Charles, Count of Valois; Charles I, Count of Flanders (Charles the Good, beatified in 1882); Charles I of Naples; Charles I of Hungary). Karl Sverkersson was a king of Sweden in the 12th century, counted as "Charles VII" due to a genealogical fiction of the 17th century by Charles "IX", but actually the first king of Sweden with this name.
Charles resurfaces as a royal name in Germany with Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1316–1378, counted as "the fourth" after Charlemagne, Charles the Bald and Charles the Fat) and in France with Charles IV of France (1294–1328, "the fourth" after Charlemagne, Charles the Bald and Charles the Simple), and becomes comparatively widespread in the Late Middle Ages (Charles I, Duke of Savoy, Charles III, Duke of Savoy).
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) gives rise to a tradition of Charlses in Habsburg Spain (Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, Charles II of Spain, Charles III of Spain, Charles IV of Spain).
The numbering scheme for the kings of Sweden was continued in modern times with Charles X, Charles XI, Charles XII, Charles XIII, Charles XIV and Charles XV.
Charles I of England (1600–1649) is followed by Charles II of England (1630–1685). The Province of Carolina is named during the rule of Charles II, after Charles I.
Charles III Philip, Elector Palatine (1661–1742).

### Modern history

Carlism is a political movement in Spain seeking the establishment of a separate line of the Bourbon family on the Spanish throne. This line descended from Infante Carlos, Count of Molina (1788–1855), and was founded due to dispute over the succession laws and widespread dissatisfaction with the Alfonsine line of the House of Bourbon. The movement was at its strongest in the 1830s, causing the Carlist Wars, and had a revival following Spain's defeat in the Spanish–American War in 1898, and lasted until the end of the Franco regime in 1975 as a social and political force
Charles Floyd (1782–1804) was the only casualty in the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Charles DeRudio (1832–1910) was an Italian aristocrat, would-be assassin of Napoleon III, and later a career U.S. Army officer who fought in the 7th U.S. Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Charles Albert Varnum (1849–1936) was the commander of the scouts in the Little Bighorn Campaign and received the Medal of Honor for his actions in a conflict following the Battle of Wounded Knee. "Lonesome" Charley Reynolds (1842–1876) was a scout in the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment who was killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
Carl has been a very popular male given name in the United States during the late 19th to early 20th centuries, consistently ranking in the top 30 male given names in the US from 1887 to 1938, and remaining among the top 100 until the 1980s, but since declining below rank 500. Charles has always been among the top 100 names in the U.S. since records started in 1880. In addition, it is among the top 100 names given in England and Wales; the current King of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, Charles III, is a notable bearer of the name. In 2022, it was the 26th most popular name given to boys in Canada.

## Derived feminine names

Caroline and Charlotte are feminine given names derived from Carl.
Charlotte is late medieval, e.g. Charlotte of Savoy (1441–1483), Charlotte of Cyprus (1444–1487). It was introduced to Britain in the 17th century, and gave rise to hypocorisms such as Lottie, Tottie, Totty.
Caroline is early modern, e.g. Caroline of Ansbach (1683–1737). It has given rise to numerous variations, such as Carlyn, Carolina, Carolyn, Karolyn, Carolin, Karolina, Karoline, Karolina, Carolien, as well as hypocorisms, such as Callie, Carol, Carrie, etc.
Another derived feminine name is Carla (Bulgarian, Catalan, Dutch, English, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish), a name which dates from early Italy.
Regional forms:
** Carolina (Italian, Indonesian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Bulgarian)
** Caroline (English, French, Indonesian, Swedish, Danish, Dutch)
** Carolyn (English)
** Carlijn (Dutch)
** Karoliina (Finnish)
** Karolina (Bulgarian, Indonesian, Polish, Swedish)
** Karolína (Czech)
** Karoline (Danish, Indonesian, Norwegian, Swedish)
** Karolina (Каролина) (Russian)
** Keraleyn (קעראַליין) (Yiddish)
** Carly (American)
** Carol (English)
* Carola (German, Swedish)
** Carole (English, French, Portuguese)
** Karol (קאַראָל) (Yiddish)
** Kyārōla (क्यारोल) (Nepali)
** Kerol (Керол) (Serbian), (Russian)
* Charlotte (English, French, German, Swedish, Danish, Dutch)
** Carlota (Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan)
** Carlotta (Italian)
** Charlotta (Swedish)
* Carla
** Charla (English)
** Karla (Bulgarian, German, Indonesian, Scandinavian, Serbian, Czech, Croatian)
** Карла (Bulgarian, Russian, Serbian)
* Charlene (given name), Charlène

## Regional forms of the name

| Language | Formal name | Informal name |
| Armenian | Կարլոս (Karlos) | |
| Basque | Karlos | |
| Bulgarian | Карл (Karl) | |
| Belarusian | Чарльз (Čarĺz) | |
| Catalan | Carles | |
| Chinese | 查尔斯 (simplified), 查爾斯 (traditional) (Chá'ěrsī) | |
| Croatian | Karlo | |
| Czech | Karel | |
| Danish | Karl, Carl | |
| Dutch | Karel | |
| English | Charles | Charlie/Charley, Chuck, Chucky, Chaz/Chas, Chad, Chip |
| Estonian | Kaarel, Kaarli, Kaaro, Kalle | |
| Faroese | Karl | |
| Finnish | Kaarlo, Kaarle, Kalle, Karl | |
| French | Charles | Charlot |
| German | Karl, Carl | |
| Georgian | კარლო (Karlo) | |
| Greek | Κάρολος (Károlos) | |
| Hungarian | Károly | Karcsi |
| Hawaiian | Kale | |
| Icelandic | Karl | |
| Indonesian | Charles, Carolus | |
| Irish | Carlus, Séarlas, Cathal | |
| Italian | Carlo | |
| Japanese | チャールズ (Chāruzu) | |
| Korean | 찰스 (chalseu) | |
| Latin | Carolus | |
| Latvian | Kārlis | |
| Limburgish | Sjarel | |
| Lithuanian | Karolis | |
| Norwegian | Karl, Carl | |
| Polish | Karol | |
| Portuguese | Carlos | Carlinhos |
| Romanian | Carol | |
| Russian | Карл (Karl) | |
| Scottish Gaelic | Teàrlach | |
| Serbian | Карло (Karlo) | |
| Slovak | Karol | |
| Slovene | Karel | |
| Spanish | Carlos | Carlito, Carlitos, Caloy (Philippines) |
| Swedish | Karl, Carl, Kalle | |
| Welsh | Siarl | |

## List of notable people
### Media, arts and entertainment
#### In literature

| Name | Description |
| Charles Abreu | Cuban composer and pianist |
| Charles Baudelaire | French poet |
| Charles Bukowski | American poet and novelist |
| Charles Dickens | English novelist |
| Charles Dodgson (pen-name Lewis Carroll) | English clergyman, writer and mathematician |
| Charles Edwards | Canadian journalist and news agency executive |
| Charles Henri Ford | American poet, photographer and writer |
| Charles Fort | American writer and researcher into anomalous phenomena |
| Charles L. Grant | American science-fiction author |
| Charles Roger Hargreaves | Children's author who wrote the Mr. Men and Little Miss series. |
| Charles "Sis Doc" Richardson | American newspaper editor, founder of Chi Omega |
| Charles Lewinsky | Swiss screenwriter, dramatist and playwright |
| Charles Lummis | American journalist, poet, historian; founder of the Southwest Museum |
| Charles Mayer | Canadian journalist, sportsperson and politician |
| Charles Olson | American poet |
| Charles O'Rear | American photographer known for taking Bliss |
| Charles Jacobs Peterson | American author, editor and publisher |
| Charles G.D. Roberts | Canadian poet |
| Charles Webb (author) | American author of The Graduate |

#### In music

| Name | Description |
| Charles Aznavour | French-Armenian singer |
| Chuck Berry | American guitarist, singer, and composer |
| Charlie Daniels | American country music figure |
| Charles Gavin | Brazilian rock drummer/producer |
| Charlie Haden | American Jazz bassist and composer |
| Charles Ives | American composer |
| Charles Kelley | Vocalist and founding member of the country music trio Lady A |
| Charles Lloyd | American jazz musician |
| Chuck Mangione | American jazz artist |
| Charles Mingus | American Jazz bassist and composer |
| Charles E. Moody | American gospel songwriter and performer |
| Charlie Parker | American Jazz saxophonist |
| Charlie Simpson | British musician and singer |
| Charles Davis Tillman (1861–1943) | pioneer of southern gospel music |
| Charlie Watts | English drummer for the rock group The Rolling Stones |

#### In film

| Name | Description |
| Charles Bowers | American cartoonist and early filmmaker |
| Charles Boyer | French-American actor |
| Charles Bronson | American actor |
| Sebastian Cabot (born Charles Sebastian Thomas Cabot) | English actor |
| Charlie Chaplin | English comedy actor, famous for silent film acting |
| Charley Chase | American silent film comedian and writer |
| Charles Dance | English actor |
| Charles Durning | American actor |
| Charles Gray | English actor |
| Charles Grodin | American actor and cable talk show host |
| Charles Herbert | American child actor of the '50s and '60s |
| Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter) | American actor |
| Lionel Jeffries (born Lionel Charles Jeffries) | English actor |
| Charles Laughton | English actor |
| Chas Licciardello | Australian comedian and a member of The Chaser |
| Charles Stanton Ogle | silent film actor |
| Charles Nelson Reilly | American comic actor and game show regular |
| Charles Reisner | American actor and film director |

#### In television

| Name | Description |
| Charles Gibson | American television journalist |
| Charles Kuralt | American television journalist |
| Charlie Rose | American host of a television interview show |

#### In visual arts

| Name | Description |
| Charles Addams | American cartoonist known for his particularly black humor and macabre characters |
| Charles Dellschau | Prussian-American outsider artist |
| Charles Eyck | Dutch visual artist |
| Chuck Jones | American animator |
| Charles R. Knight | wildlife artist, known for prehistoric restorations |
| Charles Lutyens | English artist and art therapist |
| Charles Chandler Reese (1862-1936), American illustrator, newspaper cartoonist, and artist |
| Charles Augustus Henry Lutyens | English soldier and painter |
| Charles Martinet | American actor known for playing the voice as Mario and other characters |
| Charles Prendergast | Canadian-American artist |
| Charles Schulz | creator of the comic strip Peanuts |

#### Other areas of media, arts and entertainment

| Name | Description |
| Charles White (YouTuber) | American YouTuber and Twitch streamer |

### Athletes

| Name | Description |
| Charlie Austin | English footballer |
| Charles Aránguiz | Chilean professional footballer |
| Charles Barkley | former NBA forward and a current NBA color commentator for TNT |
| Chuck Bednarik | NFL player, 1967, Philadelphia Eagles |
| Charles Betts | American professional wrestler |
| Charl Bouwer | South African paralympic swimmer |
| Charles Cornelius | NFL and CFL player |
| Charles Daniels (1885–1973) | American freestyle swimmer |
| Charley Diamond | American football player |
| Charlie Fleming | Scottish footballer |
| Charles "Buckets" Goldenberg | American All-Pro football player |
| Charles Green (disambiguation) | multiple people |
| Charles Harris | American football player |
| Chuck Hayes | American basketball player who currently plays for the Houston Rockets |
| Charles Horton | American football player |
| Charles Jagusah | American football player |
| Charles Jenkins (disambiguation) | multiple people |
| Charles Leclerc | Monégasque racing driver |
| Charles Lefrançois | Canadian high jumper |
| Charlie McCarthy | Irish hurler |
| Charles Myer | American major league baseball All Star second baseman |
| Charles Oakley | American basketball forward |
| Charles O'Bannon | American basketball player |
| Charl Pietersen (darts player) | South African darts player |
| Charles Radbourn | early Major League Baseball pitcher |
| Charles Ramsdell | Malagasy athlete |
| Charlie Reiter | American professional soccer player |
| Charles Fernando Basílio da Silva | Brazilian midfielder |
| Charles Sifford | first African American golfer to play in a PGA tour |
| Charles Washington | American football player |

### In politics

| Name | Description |
| Charles "Bubba" Chaney | Louisiana politician |
| Charles Francis Adams Sr. | American congressman and ambassador, grandson of John Adams |
| Charles Edward Bennett | Democratic U.S. Congressman from Florida |
| Charles Bent | first Governor of New Mexico Territory, assassinated in 1847 |
| Charles Joseph Bonaparte | former U. S. Attorney General |
| Charles Bradlaugh | British political activist and militant atheist, founder of the National Secular Society |
| Charles Q. Brown Jr. | Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff |
| Charles Carroll of Carrollton | last living signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence (died 1832) |
| Charles Chanda | Zambian politician |
| Charles Colson | U.S. Richard Nixon's Chief Counsel, involved in the Watergate scandal |
| Charles Magill Conrad | former American Secretary of War |
| Charles Edward Bandaranaike Corea | Sri Lankan Sinhala lawyer |
| Charles Curtis | 31st American Vice President, under Herbert Hoover |
| Charles G. Dawes | 30th American Vice President, under Calvin Coolidge |
| Charles Devens | former U.S. Attorney General |
| Charles de Gaulle | French military leader and statesman |
| Charles Edward Perry de Silva | Sri Lankan Sinhala lawyer and politician |
| Charles Percival de Silva | Sri Lankan civil servant and politician |
| Charles de Silva Batuwantudawe | Sri Lankan Sinhala lawyer and politician |
| Charles Edirisuriya | Sri Lankan Sinhala Member of Parliament for Hambanthota |
| Charlie Elphicke | British politician |
| James Charles Evers | civil rights activist, older brother of Medgar Evers |
| Charles W. Fairbanks | 26th American Vice President, under Theodore Roosevelt |
| Charles Hubert Zaleski Fernando | Sri Lankan Sinhala businessman, lawyer, and member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon |
| Charles Matthew Fernando | Sri Lankan Sinhala lawyer and scholar, first Sri Lankan Crown Counsel |
| Charles A. Ford | American diplomat |
| Charles Gibbs | Canadian politician |
| Charles J. M. Gwinn | American lawyer and politician |
| Charles Harper | Australian politician |
| Charles Alwis Hewavitharana | Sri Lankan Sinhala independence activist |
| Charles Evans Hughes | former U.S. Secretary of State |
| Charles Humphreys | Pennsylvania delegate to Continental Congress; refused to sign Declaration of Independence due to his Quaker beliefs |
| Charles Y. Kaneshiro | American politician |
| Charles Kennedy | British politician |
| Charles Lapointe | Canadian politician |
| Chuck Larson | former U.S. ambassador to Latvia |
| Charles Lee | former U. S. Attorney General |
| Charles Ambrose Lorensz | Sri Lankan Burgher lawyer, legislator, and journalist |
| Charles Mathias (1922–2010) | American politician |
| Charles Naylor (1806–1872) | American politician |
| Karolos Papoulias | former President of Greece |
| Charles Stewart Parnell | Irish political leader |
| Charles Sheedy | West Virginian politician |
| Charles Pasqua | French businessman and politician |
| Charles Pearson | former Solicitor for The City of London and early railway advocate |
| Chuck Robb | former Governor of Virginia and U.S. Senator |
| Charlie Rose | American congressman (Democrat from N.C.) |
| Charles Scott | Governor of Kentucky; also George Washington's Chief of Intelligence during the American Revolution |
| Charles Harding Smith | Irish politician |
| Charles G. Taylor | former President of Liberia |
| Charles Thomson | secretary of the Continental Congress |
| Charles Townsend | British politician |
| Charles Wilson | Texas congressman, subject of 2007 movie Charlie Wilson's War |

### In religion

* Charles Barff (1791–1866), English missionary

#### Saints

There are a number of historical figures known as "Saint Charles", although few are recognized across confessions. In the context of English and British history, "Saint Charles" is typically Charles I of England, recognized as a saint in the Anglican confession only. In Roman Catholicism, the best known Saint Charles is Charles Borromeo (1538–1584), an Italian cardinal, canonized by Pope Paul V in 1606. Charles, Duke of Brittany (1319–1364) had been canonized after his death, but Pope Gregory XI annulled this. Charles the Good (died 1127) is sometimes referred to as a saint, but while he was beatified in 1904, he has not been canonized.
Other Saints of the Roman Catholic Church, canonized after 1900:
* 1904: Saint Charles Garnier (1606–1649), French Jesuit missionary and martyr
* 1959: Saint Charles of Sezze (1616–1670), Franciscan lay brother
* 1964: Saint Charles Lwanga (1860 or 1865–1886), Ugandan Catholic martyr
* 1995: Saint Charles-Joseph-Eugène de Mazenod (1782–1861), French Catholic clergyman
* 2007: Saint Charles of Mount Argus (1821–1818), Passionist Dutch priest who worked in Ireland
Beatified:
* 1867: Blessed Charles Spinola (1564–1622), Genoese nobleman
* 2004: Blessed Charles I of Austria (1887–1922), last emperor of Austria, king of Hungary, Bohemia, etc

#### Church leaders

* Charles Wesley (1707–1788), co-founder of the Methodist movement and writer of thousands of hymns
* Charles Grandison Finney (1792–1875), a leader of the Second Great Awakening in America
* Charles Godwyn (1701-1770), British cleric and antiquarian
* Charles W. Penrose (1832–1925), leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
* Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892), Reformed Baptist preacher
* Charles Harrison Mason (1866–1961), Pentecostal preacher and founder of the Church of God in Christ
* Charles Coughlin (1891–1979), American Catholic priest
* Charles E. Sheedy (1912–1990), member of the Congregation of Holy Cross

### Nobility

    See #History above for medieval and early modern royalty and nobility. This section lists noblemen born after 1700.
* Charles d'Ursel
* Charles-Joseph, 4th Duke d'Ursel
* Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1713–1780)
* Charles III of Spain (1716–1788), first son of the second marriage of Philip V with Elizabeth Farnese of Parma
* "Bonnie Prince Charlie" Charles Edward Stuart (1720–1788), exiled claimant to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland
* Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis (1738–1805), English military commander and colonial governor
* Charles XIII of Sweden (1748–1818), king of Sweden, the second son of King Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Louisa Ulrika of Prussia
* Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia (1751–1819)
* Charles IV of Spain (1748–1819), king of Spain from December 14, 1788, until his abdication on March 19, 1808
* Charles XIV John of Sweden (1763–1844), king of Sweden and Norway. Former Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, Marshal of France
* Infante Carlos, Count of Molina (1788–1855)
* Charles, Count Léon (1806–1881), illegitimate son of Emperor Napoleon I of France and Catherine Eléonore Denuelle de la Plaigne
* Charles III, Prince of Monaco (1818–1889), founder of the casino in Monte Carlo
* Infante Carlos, Count of Montemolin (1818–1861)
* Charles I of Romania (1839–1914) first ruler of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty
* Carlos, Duke of Madrid (1848–1909)
* Charles I of Portugal (1863–1908), second to last King of Portugal and Algarves from 1889 to 1908
* Charles I of Austria (1887–1922), Emperor of Austria
* Charles II of Romania (1893–1853), eldest son of Ferdinand I
* Charles XV of Sweden (1826–1872), king of Sweden, the eldest son of King Oscar I and Josephine of Leuchtenberg
* Prince Charles of Belgium (1903–1983), second son of King Albert I of Belgium and Queen Elizabeth
* Archduke Karl Pius of Austria, Prince of Tuscany (1909–1953)
* Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma (1930–2010)
* Juan Carlos I of Spain (born 1938), former King of Spain
* Charles III, King of the United Kingdom (born 1948), eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

### Scientists

| Name | Description |
| Charles Babbage | English mathematician, philosopher, mechanical engineer and computer scientist |
| Charles L. Bennett | American astrophysicist |
| Charles Thomas Bolton | astronomer who proved the existence of black holes |
| Charles Bouman | American engineering professor |
| Charles W. Curtis | American mathematician |
| Charles Darwin | British naturalist |
| Charles Dawson | English archaeologist, involved in the Piltdown Man hoax |
| Charles Dupin | French mathematician, engineer, economist, and politician |
| Charles Ehresmann | French mathematician |
| Charles Fleming (ornithologist) | New Zealand ornithologist |
| Charles Godakumbura | Sri Lankan Sinhala archaeologist |
| Charles Hermite | French mathematician |
| Charles Thomas Jackson | American geologist |
| Charles T. Kowal | American astronomer, discoverer of Chiron and 2 moons of Jupiter |
| Charles Newton Little | American mathematician and civil engineer |
| Charles Lyell | Scottish scientist, founder of modern geology |
| Charles F. Marvin | American meteorologist |
| Charles Delucena Meigs | American obstetrician |
| Charles Karsner Mills | American neurologist |
| Charles Wright Mills | American sociologist |
| Charles Sanders Peirce | American chemist, mathematician, philosopher, |
| Charles E. de M. Sajous | American endocrinologist and laryngologist |
| Charles Sims (mathematician) | American mathematician |
| Charles Hazelius Sternberg | American fossil collector, involved in the Bone Wars |
| Charles Mortram Sternberg | son of above, also a fossil collector and paleontologist |
| Charles Tilly | American sociologist |
| Charles Doolittle Walcott | American paleontologist and Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution |
| Charles E. Wyman | Chair of the Ford Motor Company and professor of chemistry |
| Charles Thomson Rees Wilson | Scottish physicist |
| Charles M. C. Lee | Taiwanese behavioral economist |

### Other
#### Architecture

* Charles Armstrong (died 1981), Irish labourer
* Charles Barry, designer of the rebuilt Palace of Westminster
* Charles Barry Jr., his son
* Charles Thaddeus Russell (1875–1952), African American architect from Richmond, Virginia

#### Aviation and Aerospace

* Charles Lindbergh, first person to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean
* Chuck Yeager, American test pilot and first man to break the sound barrier

#### Entrepreneurs and businessmen

* Don Charles Gemoris Attygalle (1836–1901), Sri Lankan Sinhala entrepreneur and mine owner
* Charles Henry de Soysa (1836–1890), Sri Lankan Sinhala planter and philanthropist
* Charles Keating, American financier, instigator of the "Keating 5" scandal
* Charles Macalester, businessman, banker, philanthropist, namesake of Macalester College
* Charles M. Schwab, founder of Bethlehem Steel
* Charles R. Schwab, stock-broker and founder of the Charles Schwab Corporation
* Charles Shor (born 1954), American businessman
* Charles Zadok (1897–1984), American businessman, art collector and patron

#### Military personnel

* Charles L. Armstrong (1948-2011), United States Marine Corps lieutenant colonel
* Charles Upham, most-decorated Commonwealth serviceman of World War Two

#### Criminals

* Charles A. Salvador (born Michael Peterson but better known as "Charles Bronson"), notorious English prisoner
* Charles Cullen, American serial killer and former nurse
* Charles Gibbs, 19th-century pirate
* Charles J. Guiteau, American assassin of 20th President James A. Garfield
* Charles Hudspeth, American man convicted of murder
* Charles "Charlie" Lawson, American mass murderer and family annihilator
* Charles Manson (1934–2017), American cult leader, convicted murder conspirator
* Charles "Carl" Panzram, American serial killer
* Charles Ponzi, Italian-American con-man, gave name to Ponzi scheme
* Charles Sobhraj, Indian serial killer
* Charles Starkweather, American teenage spree killer
* Charles Whitman, American spree killer and former Marine

## Other uses of the name

* Carolus (coin)
* "Charles", a short story by Shirley Jackson
* Charley horse, a biophysical condition