Charles is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Contents
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
Arthur H. Charles (1911–1999), American politician from Maine
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)
Joseph Charles (born 1944), American politician from New Jersey
Justina Charles (fl. from 2004), Dominican politician
Kenya Charles (fl. from 2025), Trinidad and Tobago politician
Nick Charles (politician) (born 1982), American politician from Maryland
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 Zealand 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
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
Peyton Charles, in TV series iZombie