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Charl as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Charl

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The baby name Charl is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /tʃɑːrl/ (CHARL; like 'Carl' with an initial 'ch' sound).

Charl is Afrikaans in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 1.0
Origin: Afrikaans
Pronunciation: /tʃɑːrl/ (CHARL; like 'Carl' with an initial 'ch' sound)

What is the meaning of the name Charl ?

The baby name Charl is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /tʃɑːrl/ (CHARL; like 'Carl' with an initial 'ch' sound).

Charl is Afrikaans in Origin.

Charl is an Afrikaans and South African given name, a clipped form of Charles, ultimately from Proto-Germanic karilaz via Old High German Karl, meaning “free man.” Its shape reflects French influence - compare French Charles pronounced “sharl” - carried by Huguenot settlers into Cape Dutch/Afrikaans naming, and it functions as an independent masculine name. Though primarily masculine, in contemporary English it can appear as a unisex nickname for Charlotte.

It has been well used in South Africa and Namibia since the 20th century, borne by athletes and public figures, and appears in the UK and Australia through Afrikaans diaspora. Related forms include Charles, Karl, Carl, Carlo, Carlos, Karel, Karol, and Siarl; diminutives and variants include Charlie, Charly, Chas, Chuck, and Afrikaans Charel. Feminine cognates include Charlotte, Charlene, Carla, and Caroline. Charl offers a brisk, continental twist on the classic Charles.

Charl has the following similar or variant Names

Charl – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
NA 0 #32 2 2,537
MT 0 #43 1 1,767
BG 0 #82 1 1,799
QA 0 #105 2 7,011
BN Boys 0 #139 1 6,332
BW Boys 0 #152 3 4,685
ZA 0 #158 324 14,421
AE 0 #186 2 10,220
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
NA Boys 0 #210 26 6,830
BG Boys 0 #220 1 3,850
LU Boys 0 #220 1 4,970
MO Boys 0 #233 2 5,842
ZA Boys 0 #245 2,497 25,619
EC Boys 0 #246 1 3,322
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
GR Boys 0 #272 2 6,912
JM Girls 0 #278 1 7,507
SG 0 #282 1 11,010
SA 0 #311 2 10,560
CN Boys 0 #329 3 9,639
PE 0 #329 1 6,350
DK Boys 0 #332 1 7,401
GH Girls 0 #337 1 6,973
JO Girls 0 #339 1 7,570
QA Girls 0 #342 2 15,378
HK 0 #357 1 8,483
MU Girls 0 #359 4 8,539
MU Boys 0 #368 2 8,477
PH Boys 0 #374 10 11,440
JO Boys 0 #388 2 7,057
BO 0 #408 1 6,868
PH Girls 0 #425 5 13,098
MX 0 #445 1 8,339
SD Boys 0 #465 2 10,523
RU Boys 0 #526 1 12,621
HK Boys 0 #555 3 12,905
CM Girls 0 #560 1 11,671
PS Boys 0 #561 1 10,655
CM Boys 0 #569 7 12,054
AE Girls 0 #594 4 20,968
BO Boys 0 #621 2 9,244
IL Boys 0 #623 3 10,983
SG Girls 0 #628 5 18,916
HK Girls 0 #649 2 16,104
Finland Boys 2026 #678 5 3,552
LB 0 #684 7 13,263
IQ Boys 0 #697 1 13,071
CL Boys 0 #698 3 13,390
SG Boys 0 #737 3 17,960
QA Boys 0 #740 4 18,093
SY 0 #762 6 11,684
KW Boys 0 #800 7 18,755
NL Boys 0 #847 105 5,873
EG Boys 0 #863 24 15,035
TN 0 #864 2 13,765
OM Boys 0 #918 1 17,948
PE Boys 0 #920 7 14,506
MX Boys 0 #971 12 16,355
CO Boys 0 #973 9 15,656
NG Boys 0 #998 4 16,906
SA Girls 0 #1,008 7 25,931
EG Girls 0 #1,009 1 14,742
PE Girls 0 #1,010 1 14,861
IN Boys 0 #1,039 1 16,750
MY Girls 0 #1,069 4 24,821
AE Boys 0 #1,077 16 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,089 23 25,439
ZA Girls 0 #1,111 31 25,928
MA 0 #1,115 14 20,986
DZ 0 #1,160 17 20,130
TR 0 #1,254 1 19,440
SA Boys 0 #1,596 19 28,008

Charl is popular in 48 countries — most recent births per country:

AE
BG
BN
BO
BW

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People also ask about Charl

Charl is predominantly a boy's name.
Charl is a one syllable name, pronounced /tʃɑːrl/ (CHARL; like 'Carl' with an initial 'ch' sound).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Charles, Carl, Karl, Charlie, Charley and Charlton.
Across languages, Charl has these equivalents: Charles (English/French), Karl (German/Scandinavian), Carlos (Spanish/Portuguese), Carlo (Italian), Karel (Czech), and 2 more.
Somewhat — Charl ranked #678 in Finland in 2026, placing it just outside the most common names.