Charlotte

Charlotte is a feminine variant of the French masculine name Charles. Popular amongst nobility and royalty, Charlotte means "free man" or "army," sharing its roots with the Germanic Karl. One of Charlotte's most prominent bearers was Queen Charlotte of England, wife of King George III, and renowned patron of the arts. Of course, many today will recognize this monarch from Netflix's Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story series. In 2015, the world gained another royal Charlotte, Princess Charlotte, daughter of Prince William and Princess Catherine of Wales. While Charlotte was on the rise in popularity before the young princess's arrival, it experienced quite the jump in the UK name charts in 2016, rising from 25th to 12th in overall popularity. Those with a love of literature will perhaps most align this elevated title with novelist Charlotte Brontë, whose beloved Jane Eyre continues to enthrall. Much more than a person free from restraints, Charlotte embraces freedom of artistic expression, making it a wonderful choice for a creative kiddo. While nicknames like Charlie and Lottie are lovely options for a newly-arrived Charlotte, the name is just as beautiful in its longer form. DarcyLongfellow, a member of The Bump community, affirms this sentiment: "I absolutely love Charlotte. It's beautiful and classic. Has cute nicknames if you want them, but it's not one of those names that people are going to automatically nickname when you don't want them to."