Charles (surname)

Charles is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

Art and entertainment

• Craig Charles (born 1964), British actor and comedian
• Dave Charles (fl. from 1967), British drummer, recording engineer and record producer
• Don Charles (1933–2005), English ballad singer, record producer, and author
• Jeannette Charles (1927–2024), British actress, look-alike of Queen Elizabeth II
• Jennifer Charles (born 1968), American singer
• Josh Charles (born 1971), American actor
• Keith Charles (actor) (1934–2008), American theatre and television actor
• Larry Charles (born 1956), American film director
• Billy Ocean (born 1950, Leslie Sebastian Charles), American singer
• Max Charles (born 2003), American actor
• Nancy Linehan Charles (born 1942), American actress
• Nicola Charles (born 1969), English actress
• Ray Charles (1930–2004), American pianist and musician
• Ray Charles (1918–2015), American composer and conductor of The Ray Charles Singers
• RuPaul Andre Charles (born 1960), American drag queen and actor
• Sam Charles (1887–1949), American painter and pianist
• Tina Charles (born 1954), English singer
• Yinka Charles (born 1970), British musician, aka MC Reason, former member of 1990s band Love City Groove

Law and administration

• David Charles (public servant) (born 1940s), Australian senior public servant and consultant
• P. S. M. Charles (fl. from 2019), Sri Lankan Tamil civil servant
• Sir William Charles (born 1948), British judge

Military

• Edward Charles (RAF officer) (1919–1986), Canadian military aviator
• Havelock Charles (1858–1934), British military doctor
• James Thomas Walter Charles (1865–1928), British Mercantile Marine captain
• Ronald Charles (1875–1955), British Army officer

Politics

• Bob Charles (politician) (1936–2016), Australian politician (Liberal Party)
• David Charles (born 1948), Australian politician (Labor Party)
• Eugenia Charles (1919–2005), Prime Minister of Dominica (1980–1995)
• George Charles (1916–2004), Chief minister of St. Lucia (1960–1964)
• Justina Charles (fl. from 2004), Dominican politician
• Kenya Charles (fl. from 2025), Trinidad and Tobago politician
• Pierre Charles (1954–2004), Prime Minister of Dominica (2000–2004)

Religion

• David Charles (hymn-writer) (1762–1834), Welsh hymn-writer
• David Charles (minister) (1812–1878), Welsh Methodist cleric
• E. Otis Charles (1926–2013), retired bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Utah
• Robert Charles (scholar) (1855–1931), English biblical scholar
• Rodney Charles (born 1950), Trinidadian politician
• Sydney Anicetus Charles (1929–2018), Trinidadian bishop
• Thomas Charles (1755–1814), Welsh Calvinistic Methodist clergyman

Science and academia

• David Charles (physician) (born 1964), neurologist
• David Charles (philosopher) (fl. from 1984), professor of philosophy at the University of Oxford
• Enid Charles (1894–1972), statistician and demographer
• Jacques Charles (1746–1823), French scientist describing the behaviour of an ideal gas.
• Vera Charles (1877–1954) American mycologist

Sports

• Bob Charles (golfer) (born 1936), New Zealandian golf player
• David Atiba Charles (born 1977), football player
• Stephen Charles (1858−1950), English cricketer
• Cyrille Charles (born 1977), Saint Lucian cricketer
• Daedra Charles (1968–2018), American basketball player
• David Atiba Charles (born 1977), Trinidadian football player
• Ed Charles (1933–2018), American baseball player
• Ezzard Charles (1921–1975), former world heavyweight boxing champion
• Gary Charles (born 1970), British football player
• Irvin Charles (born 1997), American football player
• Jamaal Charles (born 1986), American football player
• John Charles (English footballer) (fl. 1912–1924), English football player
• John Charles (1931–2004), Welsh footballer
• Johnson Charles (born 1989) Saint Lucian, West Indian cricketer
• Lorenzo Charles (1963–2011), American former college and professional basketball player
• Mel Charles (1935–2016), Welsh professional football player
• Ned Charles (born 1957), Mauritian football player
• Ron Charles (basketball) (1959–2024), American basketball player
• Rudy Charles (born 1977), American professional wrestling referee
• Saahdiq Charles (born 1999), American football player
• Stefan Charles (born 1988), American football player
• Tina Charles (born 1988), American basketball player

Writing

• Emily Hawthorne (born Emily Thornton Charles) (1845–1895), American poet, journalist, suffragist, newspaper founder
• Glen Charles (born 1943), American screenwriter and television producer, working with his brother Les Charles
• Jos Charles (fl. from 2016), American poet
• KJ Charles (fl. from 2013), British historical romance novelist
• Les Charles (born 1948), American screenwriter and television producer, working with his brother Glen Charles
• Ron Charles (critic) (born 1962), American book critic

Fictional characters

• Chuck Charles, in the film The Penguins of Madagascar
• Derek and Sharon Charles, the couple in the 2009 film Obsessed
• Keith Charles, in the American TV series Six Feet Under
• Nick and Nora Charles, in Dashiell Hammett's novel The Thin Man
• Peter Charles, aka PC Principal, in TV series South Park

See also

• Charles, for the first name