This is more of a question on its provenance, but I'd also like to get your opinions on it.
A) Is the meaning "settlement of free men" related to the meaning "man" of
Charles (presumably the "ton" comes from town)?
B) Is it useable? I always think of
Charlton Heston, but I recently discovered a comedian/newscaster I kind of like,
Charlie Brooker, is actually a
Charlton too. Are your associations with the actor positive? Negative? Would they impact your usage of the name?
I was drawn to it because it seems to fit into some very popular categories - classic roots, ending in N, cute nickname, vintage Old Hollywood vibe - like
Harrison or
Flynn, but hasn't had nearly the popularity swing. It's also much less of an old man name (I understand why
Errol and
Cary didn't catch on).
"The secret garden is always open now. Open, and awake, and alive. If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden."