Charles

Charles is an English and French given name derived from the Germanic element hari or karl, meaning "man" or "free man," which forms the root of the Latinized name Carolus. The name gained enormous prestige through Charlemagne, the Frankish king and Holy Roman Emperor whose Latin name Carolus Magnus means "Charles the Great," and it was subsequently borne by numerous European monarchs across France, England, Spain, and the Habsburg dynasty. The English form Charles became particularly prominent after the Stuart kings Charles I and Charles II ruled in the seventeenth century. Related forms include Karl, Carlo, Carlos, Károly, and the feminine variants Charlotte and Caroline.