English, from Latin "Christian love". Caritas was used in old documents in Latin, with appropriate case endings.

In use in England in earlier centuries, Charity gained in popularity under the Puritans in the 17^th century as a "virtue" name. It probably originates from the reference in the New Testament [AV] in 1 Corinthians 13:13: "... faith, hope and charity". These have all been adopted as given names.