| Charlotte | Genevieve | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Free | Of Celtic/Germanic origin, tribe woman |
| Origin | French | French |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | SHAR-lut | JEN-uh-veev |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2025 (13,400) | 1918 (3,304) |
| In 2025 | 13,400 | 1,981 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Charlotte | Genevieve |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 78,055 | 10,882 |
| 2010s | 102,488 | 15,643 |
| 2000s | 24,266 | 8,226 |
| 1990s | 9,696 | 4,567 |
| 1980s | 8,486 | 4,752 |
| 1970s | 12,513 | 3,634 |
| 1960s | 24,232 | 2,546 |
| 1950s | 36,997 | 3,174 |
| 1940s | 49,478 | 5,123 |
| 1930s | 34,646 | 9,690 |
| 1920s | 35,752 | 24,780 |
| 1910s | 22,548 | 22,830 |
| 1900s | 6,194 | 5,292 |
| 1890s | 4,771 | 2,904 |
| 1880s | 3,311 | 1,088 |
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.
A name of Celtic or Germanic roots, often read “tribe woman” or “woman of the race.” Saint Genevieve is patron of Paris.
Charlotte is more popular than Genevieve today: about 13,400 US babies were given the name Charlotte in 2025, compared with 1,981 named Genevieve.
Charlotte means Free (French origin), while Genevieve means Of Celtic/Germanic origin, tribe woman (French origin).
In US records, Charlotte first appears in 1880 and Genevieve in 1880, so Charlotte has the longer recorded history.