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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Charles m. Old High German karl 'man', Old English c(e)arl, ceorl 'freeman'.

The name of numerous kings and emperors in France, Germany, Hungary, Sweden, England, Portugal, Norway, Bohemia, Spain, and Italy, a 12th C Flemish saint, a 14th C Breton saint, and a 16th C Italian saint.

The prominence of Charles the Great (Charlemagne) helped contribute to the name's enduring popularity.

Austria
Latin
798 Carolo (abl) UrkStyria 2, Karoli (gen) ibid. 1, Karolo (dat) ibid. 3; 813 caroli (gen) UBEnns-1 II
Belgium
Latin
1238 Karolum (acc) OvdFB 3
Dutch
1597x1598 Caerel BoonenGes p. 322, Carel ibid. p. 322, Charles ibid. p. 344
Czech Republic
Latin
1345 Karolo (abl) CDEM-7.2 614, Karolum (acc) ibid. 622, Karolus (nom) ibid. 607, Karolvm (acc) ibid. 614; 1356 Karolus (nom) chlumecky 128
England
Latin
1348 Caroli (gen) SocAntNor-3-3 no. 10, Carolum (acc) ibid. no. 9; 1349 Karoli (gen) ibid. no. 11, Karolum (acc) ibid. no. 11; 1357 Karolo (abl) ibid. no. 23; 1573 Carolus (nom) Chst-1 p. 12; 1576 Caroli (gen) AuFr Drossaert
Dutch
1584 Chaerles AuFr Basijn; 1587 Charle ibid. Burgrave; 1592 Charles ibid. Costere; 1593 Charles ibid. Coster; 1595 Charles ibid. Coster
Early Modern English
1530 Charlys LIWill-III p. 9; 1550 Charles BEmar-vol1 p. 4; 1555/6 Charles ibid. p. 5; 1561 Charles CAmar-vol1 p. 2; 1565 Charles ibid. p. 2; 1570 Charles RegBisham p. 3; 1571/2 Charles ibid. p. 3; 1573/4 Charles ibid. p. 3; 1575 Charles StAnthonlin p. 24; 1576 Charles CAmar-vol1 p. 3, StAnthonlin p. 25; 1578 Charles ibid. p. 26; 1584 Charles RegBisham p. 4; 1588 Charles DEmar-vol2 p. 15; 1590 Charles Bar-in-El p. 31; 1591 Charles DEmar-vol2 p. 22; 1593 Charles SaxhamSf p. 57; 1597 Charles DEmar-vol1 p. 87; 1598 Charles Bar-in-El p. 33; 1599 Charles DEmar-vol2 p. 41, SaxhamSf p. 5
Walloon
1581 Charles RWC p. 3; 1581/2 Charles ibid. p. 4; 1582 Charles ibid. p. 4; 1582/3 Charles ibid. p. 6; 1583/4 Charles ibid. p. 437; 1583 Charles ibid. p. 7; 1593 Charles ibid. p. 564; 1594 Charles ibid. p. 564
Finland
Old Swedish
1405 Karl (nom) SDHK no. 16441
Early Modern Swedish
1548 Kariill (nom) Audén1980 p. 169
France
Latin
780 Carolo (abl) CartNoaille I; p800 Karoli (gen) InsMacon II, Karolus (nom) ibid. II; 854 Caroli (gen) ibid. VII, Karolus (nom) ibid. VII; 862 Karoli (gen) ibid. IX, Karolo (abl) ibid. IX, Karolus (nom) ibid. IX; c862 Karolus (nom) ibid. VIII; 862x876 Karolus (nom) ibid. X; 876 Karolus (nom) ibid. XI; 1268 Karolo (abl) ChartBB I; 1378 Caroli (gen) hanquetvol1 493, Karoli (gen) ibid. 30, Karolo (dat) ibid. 30, Karolus (nom) ibid. 351; 1450 Karoli (gen) ChronMaillezais p. 167; 1564 Carolus (nom) FlorLyon p. 172
Middle French
1356 Charles HistHdVParis no. 3; 1358 Charle LeCoq p. 366, Charles ibid. p. 383; 1392 Charles MemBret-II col. 608; 1393 Charles ibid. col. 620; 1404 Charles HistHdVParis no. 4; 1415[1469x1471] Carles Waurin p. 228, Charles ibid. p. 224; 1418 Charles DdB1418 p. 208; 1421 Charles favier 322; 1438 Charles NotSLdN VI, favier p. 267; 1504 Charles HistHdVParis no. 6; 1551 Charles ibid. no. 21b; 1562 Charles RegPCC-1 p. 8; 1563 Charles ibid. p. 19; 1564 Charles ibid. p. 93; 1565 Charles ibid. p. 178; 1566 Charles ibid. p. 204; 1567 Charles ibid. p. 299; 1568 Charles ibid. p. 401; 1570 Charles ibid. p. 424; 1571 Charles HistHdVParis nos. 26, 27, RegPCC-1 p. 441; 1587 Charles RTFProvins 29; 1588 Charles raymond1588 p. 565
1392 Charlot MemBret-II col. 602; 1418 Charlot DdB1418 p. 204, HGParis p. 380; 1421 Charlot favier 1226; 1423 Charlot ibid. 343; 1438 Charlot ibid. 250; 1493 Charlot MSR1838 p. 376; 1565 Charlot RegPCC-1 p. 125; 1567 Charlot ibid. p. 309
Germany
Latin
779 Karoli (gen) quix-vol1 1, Karolus (nom) ibid. 1; 786 Caroli (gen) HambUrk-vol1 I, Carolus (nom) ibid. I; 788 Karoli (gen) ibid. II, Karolus (nom) ibid. II; 790x814 Karolus (nom) ibid. III; 795x800 Karolus (nom) ibid. IV; 802 Caroli (gen) FRA-XXXL 7, Carolo (abl) ibid. 7, Karoli (gen) ibid. 8; 811 Karolus (nom) UrkStyria 4; 819 Karoli (gen) ibid. 5; 844 Karoli (gen) quix-vol1 2; 855 Karoli (gen) ibid. 3, Karolus (nom) ibid. 3; 882 Caroli (gen) ibid. 96, Carolus (nom) ibid. 96; 887 Karoli (nom) ibid. 4, Karolus (nom) ibid. 4; 888 Karolus (nom) ibid. 5; 930 Karoli (gen) ibid. 10, Karolus (nom) ibid. 10; 966 Karoli (gen) ibid. 13, Karolus (nom) ibid. 13; 972 Karolus (nom) ibid. 15; 997 Karoli (gen) ibid. 16; 998 Karoli (gen) ibid. 18; 1000 Karolo (abl) ibid. 19; 1165 Karolus (nom) ibid. 93
Early New High German
1497 Karel Nurn1497 2653, Karll ibid. 1722
Hungary
Latin
1317 Carolum (acc) CDH-VIII-II VII, Carolus (nom) ibid. I, Karulus (nom) ibid. IV
Ireland
Latin
1433 Carolo (dat) RegOct 116; 1434 Carolo (dat) ibid. 120
Early Modern English
1526 Charles Fiants-1 12
Italy
Latin
780 Karolo (abl) RCI-Cam1 1; 1376 Carlo (abl) DouGen1 p. 29; 1391 Caroli (gen) Venditti I-1; 1393 Carolus (nom) sajanello-2 p. 19; 1464 Carolus (nom) CUP-III-I CCXXXI; 1488 Carolus (nom) CID-3 XCIII; 1522x1532 Carolus (nom) DSF p. 51, 21; 1527 Carolus (nom) Rome1527 p. 87
1267 Carlinus (nom) BBC-Berg p. XLI; 1271 Carlini (gen) ibid. p. XLII; 1282 Carlini (gen) ibid. p. XLVII; 1285 Carlecti (gen) Perugia1285 p. 156; 1376 Carloto (abl) DouGen1 p. 36; 1464 Carlinus (nom) CUP-III-I CCXXXI
Italian
1429–1430 Carlo DiaryLMA p. 207, Karlo ibid. p. 207
Romania
Latin
1317 Karolus (nom) CDH-VIII-II II
Scotland
Latin
c1100 Carl (gen) ESC XX
Spain
Latin
875 Caroli (gen) CDCB-XV MMXVI; 896 Karulo (abl) ibid. MMXIX; 898 Karulo (abl) ibid. MMXXI; 899 Karulo (abl) ibid. MMXXII; 1491 Karoli (gen) carbonell-I p. 52
Catalan
1510 Carles valencia1510 475
Spanish
1575 Carlos Catalogo-5.2 3846
Sweden
Latin
1310 karolus (nom) SDHK 2384; 1350 Karls (gen) ibid. no. 6000, Karoli (gen) ibid. no. 6015, Karolo (dat) ibid. no. 6023, Karolus (nom) ibid. no. 6002; 1356 Karolo (abl) ibid. no. 7002, Karolus (nom) ibid. no. 7001
Old Swedish
1377 Karl (nom) SDHK no. 11085, Karls (gen) ibid. no. 11085; 1383 Kaarls (gen) SRA-vol2 no. 1933, Karl ibid. no. 1905, Karls (gen) ibid. no. 1898; 1401 Karls (gen) SDHK no. 15698; 1409 Carl (nom) ibid. no. 17269, Karl (nom) ibid. no. 17265, Karle (dat) ibid. no. 17271; 1411 Karl (nom) ibid. no. 17627; 1412 Karl (nom) ibid. no. 17900; 1415 Karll (nom) ibid. no. 18466; 1416 Carl (nom) ibid. no. 18817; 1419 Karl (nom) ibid. no. 19273; 1420 Karl (nom) ibid. no. 19436, Karls (gen) ibid. no. 19553
Cite as: R. Le Get, J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Charles". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2018, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2018/1/name/Charles.