Charlene is a feminine form of Charles created in English with the -ene ending, so it shares the Germanic meaning "free man". It was most popular in the United States in the 1940s and 1950s, when similar names like Darlene and Arlene were in style. Charlene has stayed outside the top 1000 since 2000, when it ranked number 1082, its best position in this period, and stands at number 1948 in 2025.