Royals always influence popular names, but in this case, it's not the current Prince Charles, according to Behind the Name, but the Medieval king of the Franks, Charles the Great. Of course, he's better known as Charlemagne, but that didn't catch on. The name got a big boost in England in the 1600s when two kings were called Charles (even if one lost his head).
Coming in at No. 5 most popular in 1922, Charles – which comes from the German for "man" – held that spot through 1929 but hasn't been in the top five since. However, the feminized version of the name, Charlotte, was No. 4 for girls in 2020.
The year 1922 saw plenty of babies named Charles who would go on to be well-known. There was the civil rights leader Charles "Charlie" Evers, 13-term congressman Charles Diggs, jazz great Charles Mingus, and creator of the iconic "Peanuts" comic strip Charles Schulz (pictured).
