Charlene is the French feminine of Charles — from the Old Germanic karl (free man). A top-100 US baby name from 1947 to 1960. Princess Charlene of Monaco (born Charlene Lynette Wittstock, 1978) — Zimbabwean-born former Olympic swimmer (representing South Africa at Sydney 2000, where she finished fifth in the 4x100m medley relay); married Prince Albert II of Monaco on July 1, 2011, becoming the third Princess of Monaco after Grace Kelly and Stéphanie. Founded the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation in 2012, promoting water safety and aquatic education for children (1.2 million children have learned to swim through its programs). Mother of twins Jacques and Gabriella (born 2014). Charlene Tilton (Dallas TV series). Charlene Wittstock — her name before marriage. Charlene — 1977 Motown song by Charlene Duncan ("I've Never Been to Me") — a 1982 #3 US hit.
Featured throughout Monégasque royal coverage.
Charlene does not currently appear in the US Social Security Administration's top 1,000 girls' names, so we don't publish a US rank or birth count for it. That says nothing about the name's standing elsewhere in the world — only that it sits outside the ranked US data we rely on.
In Pythagorean numerology the letters of Charlene reduce to 3, The Communicator. This is a traditional interpretive system, not a factual claim about the name.