Charlotte

Charlotte is a French feminine diminutive of Charles, which derives from the Germanic name Karl, rooted in a word meaning man or free man. The name gained wide use across Europe partly through Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, queen consort of Britain, and later through literary figures such as the heroine of Goethe's novel The Sorrows of Young Werther. It has long been popular in English-speaking countries and across Scandinavia and the Low Countries. Related forms include Charlotta, Carlotta, and the masculine source name Charles.