Charlet is of French origin, derived from the surname derived from the Old Germanic personal name 'Karl'. It is believed to have been brought to France by Frankish settlers during the Middle Ages and has since evolved into a unisex given name. In French, Charlet can be translated to mean 'freeholder' or 'strong'. Despite its French roots, it is also found in other countries such as Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada.
The name Charlet experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over the years, with notable peaks and valleys. From its inception around 1915 until the 1940s, it remained relatively stable, averaging about 5 to 7 births per year. However, from the late 1940s onwards, there was a marked increase in its popularity, reaching an all-time high of 20 births in 1947. After this peak, the name's popularity declined steadily until the mid-1960s, with fewer than 15 births recorded each year between 1948 and 1964.
The late 1960s and early 1970s saw another surge in popularity for Charlet, with a consistent average of around 8 to 11 births per year. This trend continued into the 1980s, although there was some variation in yearly totals, ranging from as low as 5 births in certain years to peaks of up to 22 births in 1965.
After the 1980s, Charlet's popularity appeared to decline once again. Between 1990 and 2014, there were consistently fewer than 10 births per year, with some years having as few as 5 or 6 births. However, there was a resurgence in popularity in recent years, with totals of 8 births in 2011, 13 births in 2018, and even a peak of 14 births in 2012. Overall, from 1915 to 2018, there were a total of 657 births registered with the name Charlet.