| Amy | Charlotte | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Beloved | Free |
| Origin | french | French |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | AY-mee | SHAR-lut |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1975 (32,254) | 2025 (13,400) |
| In 2025 | 1,200 | 13,400 |
| Trend | Declining | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Amy | Charlotte |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 8,362 | 78,055 |
| 2010s | 19,765 | 102,488 |
| 2000s | 28,760 | 24,266 |
| 1990s | 51,167 | 9,696 |
| 1980s | 150,662 | 8,486 |
| 1970s | 268,994 | 12,513 |
| 1960s | 116,775 | 24,232 |
| 1950s | 30,583 | 36,997 |
| 1940s | 5,328 | 49,478 |
| 1930s | 3,402 | 34,646 |
| 1920s | 5,264 | 35,752 |
| 1910s | 4,824 | 22,548 |
| 1900s | 2,576 | 6,194 |
| 1890s | 3,042 | 4,771 |
| 1880s | 2,127 | 3,311 |
From the Old French Amee (modern Aimee), the past participle of amer 'to love', ultimately from Latin amata 'beloved'. A clear reflex of the Latin root am- 'love'.
Charlotte is a French feminine diminutive of Charles, from the Germanic for “free man” — so “little free one.” Borne by queens and by the novelist Charlotte Brontë, it is a modern favourite.
Charlotte is more popular than Amy today: about 13,400 US babies were given the name Charlotte in 2025, compared with 1,200 named Amy.
Amy means Beloved (french origin), while Charlotte means Free (French origin).
In US records, Amy first appears in 1880 and Charlotte in 1880, so Amy has the longer recorded history.