Editing Charles (section)

===Early Middle Ages===
The name is atypical for [[Germanic name]]s as it is not composed of two elements, but simply a noun meaning "(free) man". This meaning of ''ceorl'' contrasts with ''[[earl|eorl]]'' (Old Norse ''jarl'') "nobleman" on one hand and with  ''þeow'' (Old Norse ''[[thrall|þræll]]'') "bondsman, slave" on the other. As such it would not seem a likely candidate for the name of a [[Germanic king]], but it is attested as such with [[Cearl of Mercia]] ({{floruit|620}}),  the first Mercian king mentioned by [[Bede]] in his ''[[Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum]]''. It is a peculiarity of the [[Anglo-Saxon genealogies|Anglo-Saxon royal names]] that many of the rulers of the earliest period (6th to 7th centuries) have monothematic (simplex) names, while the standard dithematic (compounded) names become almost universal from the 8th century. Compare the name of King [[Mul of Kent]] (7th century) which simply translates to "mule".

[[Charles Martel]], the son of [[Pepin of Herstal]] and [[Alpaida]], was either illegitimate or the product of a bigamous marriage, and therefore indeed a "free man", but not of noble rank. After his victory at the [[Battle of Soissons (718)]], Charles Martel styled himself [[Duke of the Franks]]. Charles' eldest son was named [[Carloman (mayor of the palace)|Carloman]] ({{circa|710}}{{snd}}754), a rare example of the element ''carl-'' occurring in a compound name. 
The ''[[Chronicle of Fredegar]]'' names an earlier ''Carloman'' as the father of [[Pepin of Landen]], and thus the great-great-grandfather of the Charles Martel. This would place the name ''Carloman'' in the 6th century, and open the possibility that the Frankish name ''Carl'' may originate as a short form of ''Carloman''. The only other compound name with the ''Carl-'' prefix is ''Carlofred'' (''Carlefred''), attested in the 7th century; as a suffix, it occurs in the rare names ''Altcarl'' and ''Gundecarl'' (9th and 11th centuries, respectively).<ref>E. Förstemann, Altdeutsches Namenbuch (1856), s.v. 'Carl' (303).</ref>

[[Charlemagne]] (742–814) was Charles Martel's grandson. After Charlemagne's reign, the name became irrevocably connected with him and his [[Carolingian dynasty]].
After Charlemagne, the name Charles (''Karol'') became even the standard word for "king" in Slavic (Czech and Slovak ''král'', Polish ''król''; South Slavic ''kral'' крал, ''krȃlj'' краљ; Russian король), Baltic (Latvian ''karalis'', Lithuanian ''karalius'') and Hungarian (''király'').

Charlemagne's son [[Charles the Younger]] died without issue, but the name resurfaces repeatedly within the 9th-century Carolingian family tree, so with [[Charles the Bald]] (823–877), [[Charles the Fat]] (839–888) [[Charles of Provence]] (845–863), [[Charles the Child]] (847/848–866) and [[Charles the Simple]] (879–929).