Charlotte is the French feminine form of Charles and means "free woman" or "free man", from the Germanic word karl. Queen Charlotte, wife of George III, made it a royal name in the 18th century, and the birth of Princess Charlotte in 2015 gave it a fresh boost. In the United States the name has risen steadily from number 289 in 2000 to a top 10 position since 2014 and reached number two in 2025, its highest rank ever.