| Charles | Joshua | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Free man | — |
| Origin | Germanic | — |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | CHARLZ | — |
| Syllables | 1 | — |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1947 (40,781) | 1989 (44,100) |
| In 2025 | 5,898 | 4,773 |
| Trend | Steady | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Charles | Joshua |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 35,125 | 31,854 |
| 2010s | 70,024 | 106,273 |
| 2000s | 75,334 | 232,053 |
| 1990s | 92,434 | 329,192 |
| 1980s | 131,902 | 396,524 |
| 1970s | 163,021 | 140,318 |
| 1960s | 249,398 | 5,326 |
| 1950s | 361,177 | 2,221 |
| 1940s | 361,772 | 1,156 |
| 1930s | 303,218 | 948 |
| 1920s | 298,031 | 1,143 |
| 1910s | 173,535 | 926 |
| 1900s | 36,184 | 243 |
| 1890s | 36,848 | 287 |
| 1880s | 46,656 | 465 |
Charles is a Germanic name meaning “free man.” It was borne by Charlemagne — Charles the Great — and by a long line of European kings and emperors.
Joshua is from the Hebrew Yehoshua, “Yahweh is salvation” — the same root that gives us Jesus. In the Bible, Joshua was the successor to Moses who led the Israelites into the Promised Land.
Charles is more popular than Joshua today: about 5,898 US babies were given the name Charles in 2025, compared with 4,773 named Joshua.
In US records, Charles first appears in 1880 and Joshua in 1880, so Charles has the longer recorded history.