Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1995

Cherokee

Gender Unisex · 88% girls Rank 2025 #13,556
Rank 2025
#13,556
among girls · ↓5,500 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
6
named Cherokee
How common
1 in 267,878
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1995
174 babies
All-time total
2,909
#3,968 all-time among girls
First recorded
1920
in Social Security records

Cherokee popularity over time

2,909 babies have been named Cherokee since 1920, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s 10 – 10 1 – #5,106
1930s – – – – – –
1940s 15 – 15 2 – #4,729
1950s 36 – 36 4 +140% #4,256
1960s 21 – 21 2 -42% #4,765
1970s 147 17 164 16 +681% #3,111
1980s 199 12 211 21 +29% #2,669
1990s 1,067 200 1,267 127 +500% #1,262
2000s 674 91 765 77 -40% #1,534
2010s 302 17 319 32 -58% #3,534
2020s (to 2025) 101 – 101 17 -47% #4,866

The story of Cherokee

Cherokee is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #13,556 in 2025 with 6 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1920, 2,909 American babies have been named Cherokee, about 88% girls and 12% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1995, when 174 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Cherokee stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Cherokee?

The median living Cherokee is about 27 years old; half are between 21 and 32. An estimated 2,800 people named Cherokee are alive in the United States today.

median 27 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Cherokee year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 6 #13,556 – –
2024 13 #8,056 – –
2023 16 #6,999 – –
2022 13 #8,134 – –
2021 27 #4,866 – –
2020 26 #4,912 – –
2019 20 #6,028 – –
2018 33 #4,255 – –
2017 31 #4,503 5 #12,629
2016 44 #3,534 – –
2015 30 #4,616 5 #12,406
2014 30 #4,681 – –
2013 19 #6,524 – –
2012 30 #4,742 – –
2011 39 #3,854 – –
2010 26 #5,273 7 #9,873
2009 25 #5,575 6 #11,240
2008 40 #3,951 7 #10,044
2007 42 #3,800 – –
2006 51 #3,231 5 #12,362
2005 54 #2,974 7 #9,290
2004 82 #2,179 6 #10,178
2003 82 #2,130 11 #6,325
2002 89 #1,969 13 #5,451
2001 91 #1,905 17 #4,510
2000 118 #1,534 19 #4,082
1995 134 #1,262 40 #2,059
1990 40 #2,864 – –
1985 20 #4,005 – –
1980 14 #5,021 – –
1975 18 #3,657 5 #5,600
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 7 #4,812 – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 5 #5,106 – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Cherokee, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Cherokee?

The median living Cherokee is about 27 years old. Half of all living Cherokees are between 21 and 32 years old.

How many people named Cherokee are alive today?

An estimated 2,800 people named Cherokee are alive in the United States, based on 2,909 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Cherokee in 2025?

Cherokee ranked #13,556 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 6 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Cherokee?

2,909 babies have been named Cherokee in the United States since 1920, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Cherokee most popular?

Cherokee peaked in 1995, when 174 newborns received the name.

Is Cherokee a boy or girl name?

Cherokee is used for both: about 88% of babies named Cherokee have been girls and 12% boys.

Is the name Cherokee rising or falling?

Cherokee is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Names like Cherokee

Names that sound and feel close to Cherokee: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Cherokee with similar names → More names starting with C →