How to read the band →
Solid line = floor (spellings that unambiguously belong to the group). Shaded band up to the dashed edge = ceiling (the most it could reach if every ambiguous spelling counted here).
Charles
Charles is down from its peak but still widely used. All-time it's been given to 2,447,135 U.S. babies, the 104th most common name by sound today, peaking at 40,919 in 1947, with 5,908 in 2025.
Charles has no common alternate spellings by sound.
Rising
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, “National data” baby-names files (1880–2025).