Charleston means free man's settlement — from the Old English/Germanic. Charleston IS one of America's most beautiful and historic cities — the cradle of Southern culture. The Charleston IS the most iconic dance of the 1920s. Three syllables of America's-most-beautiful-city, cradle-of-Southern-culture, and the most iconic 1920s dance.
Germanic Karl (free man) + Old English tun→Charleston
1
Modern American roots
Charleston IS one of America's most beautiful — cradle of the South. The dance IS the most iconic 1920s.
2
First recorded
Earliest known use: Old English; Charleston, SC; the Charleston dance (1920s).
3
Today
Charleston remains a beloved choice, ranking #2479 in the US. 3,724 babies have been named Charleston since 1914.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, SSA data
◆
How popular is Charleston?
2015peak year
Charleston reached its widest reach during the 2010s. In 2015, 88 babies received the name (ranked #1744). In the present decade it sits well outside the top 1,000 (around #2479), with about 155 babies given the name annually. Charleston has been declining in recent years. The all-time total comes to roughly 3,724 registrations.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
Charleston's Life Path 5 is the adventurer's number — Southern adventure. People named Charleston tend to be elegant, historic, and gifted at being America's most beautiful AND the most iconic dance.
Every name has a homeland. Discover strong boy names rooted in cultures from around the world — each with full meanings, origin stories and pronunciation.