diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/chariter.cpp b/icu4c/source/common/chariter.cpp
index 1b2f76b1e63..20b10395a42 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/chariter.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/chariter.cpp
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ CharacterIterator::CharacterIterator(int32_t length, UTextOffset position)
   }
 }
 
-CharacterIterator::CharacterIterator(int32_t length, UTextOffset begin, UTextOffset end, UTextOffset position)
- : textLength(length), pos(position), begin(begin), end(end) {
+CharacterIterator::CharacterIterator(int32_t length, UTextOffset textBegin, UTextOffset textEnd, UTextOffset position)
+ : textLength(length), pos(position), begin(textBegin), end(textEnd) {
   if(textLength < 0) {
     textLength = 0;
   }
diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/chariter.h b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/chariter.h
index a77902c8974..44d2faff174 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/chariter.h
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/chariter.h
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ protected:
   CharacterIterator() {}
   CharacterIterator(int32_t length);
   CharacterIterator(int32_t length, UTextOffset position);
-  CharacterIterator(int32_t length, UTextOffset begin, UTextOffset end, UTextOffset position);
+  CharacterIterator(int32_t length, UTextOffset textBegin, UTextOffset textEnd, UTextOffset position);
   CharacterIterator(const CharacterIterator &that);
 
   CharacterIterator &operator=(const CharacterIterator &that);
diff --git a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/citrtest.cpp b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/citrtest.cpp
index 3de47f8f056..535ede06b71 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/citrtest.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/citrtest.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,13 @@ void CharIterTest::TestConstructionAndEquality() {
     CharacterIterator* test4 = new StringCharacterIterator(testText2);
     CharacterIterator* test5 = test1->clone();
 
+    if (test1d->startIndex() < 0)
+        errln("Construction failed: startIndex is negative");
+    if (test1d->endIndex() > testText.length())
+        errln("Construction failed: endIndex is greater than the text length");
+    if (test1d->getIndex() < test1d->startIndex() || test1d->endIndex() < test1d->getIndex())
+        errln("Construction failed: startIndex is negative");
+
     if (*test1 == *test2 || *test1 == *test3 || *test1 == *test4)
         errln("Construction or operator== failed: Unequal objects compared equal");
     if (*test1 != *test5)