Where does “Charles” come from?
Charles (Old French) comes from Latin Carolus, from Middle High German Karl, from Old High German karl, from Proto-Germanic karilaz, from Proto-Germanic karaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵerh₂- — to grow old, to mature.
Ancestry of “Charles”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | Carolus | Charles |
| 2 | Middle High German | Karl | — |
| 3 | Old High German | karl | man |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | karilaz | free man, franklin; little man, young man |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | karaz | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵerh₂- | to grow old, to mature |
Words derived from “Charles”