Charly

Charly is a given name and nickname used as a variant of Charles. It appears in several languages, including French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German-speaking regions, and can function as both a standalone given name and a familiar form for Charles. The root name Charles derives from the Germanic Karl, meaning “free man” or “man.”

In popular culture, Charly is used as a title and as a personal name. The 1968 film Charly, directed by Ralph Nelson and based on Daniel Keyes’s Flowers for Algernon, follows Charly Gordon, a man whose intelligence increases dramatically after an experimental procedure. The film starred Cliff Robertson, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the role. The name is also associated with Charly García, a prominent Argentine musician who has been a central figure in Argentine rock since the 1960s, commonly credited simply as Charly García.

The spelling Charly is common in French-speaking contexts and among Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking communities; in English-language contexts, Charlie is typically more common, though Charly remains in use as a personal name or nickname. See also Charlie for related given names and uses.