Charity
Charity is a girl's name of English origin.
Meaning
Generous love; benevolence; goodwill.
Origin and history
Charity is an English virtue name derived from the Late Latin 'caritas', meaning Christian love or benevolence. Popularized by the Puritans in the 17th century alongside names like Faith and Hope, it remains a recognized classical choice. In the United States, it enjoyed peak popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s and continues in steady, modest use.
Popularity in the United States
35,518 babies in the United States have been named Charity since 1880. It ranks #737 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #1409.
States where it is most popular
- CA (7.1 %)
- TX (6.9 %)
- OH (5.6 %)
- NC (5.4 %)
- GA (5.1 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 323 |
| 1890-1900 | 400 |
| 1900-1910 | 416 |
| 1910-1920 | 658 |
| 1920-1930 | 573 |
| 1930-1940 | 385 |
| 1940-1950 | 456 |
| 1950-1960 | 519 |
| 1960-1970 | 1,036 |
| 1970-1980 | 9,718 |
| 1980-1990 | 8,212 |
| 1990-2000 | 4,980 |
| 2000-2010 | 4,752 |
| 2010-2019 | 2,383 |
| 2020-2029 | 707 |
Famous people named Charity
- Charity Wakefield: Actress
- Charity Shea: Actress
Nicknames
Cherry, Chatty
Fun facts
- It was adopted as a given name by English Puritans in the 16th and 17th centuries to emphasize spiritual virtue.
- The name stems from the Latin 'caritas', which was translated into English as 'charity' in biblical texts like 1 Corinthians 13.