Cheryl: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#4,376

among girls · ↓396 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Cheryl · -14% vs 2024

How common

1 in 50,227

girls born in 2025

Peak year

1958

24,178 babies

All-time total

440,517

#81 all-time among girls

First recorded

1909

in Social Security records

Cheryl popularity over time

440,517 babies have been named Cheryl since 1909, 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

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	5	–	5	1	–	#2,265
1910s	70	–	70	7	+1300%	#1,660
1920s	268	–	268	27	+283%	#1,108
1930s	1,300	5	1,305	131	+387%	#312
1940s	70,959	139	71,098	7,110	+5348%	#24
1950s	171,387	292	171,679	17,168	+141%	#13
1960s	135,650	351	136,001	13,600	-21%	#17
1970s	40,393	139	40,532	4,053	-70%	#44
1980s	14,319	45	14,364	1,436	-65%	#119
1990s	3,317	7	3,324	332	-77%	#415
2000s	1,036	–	1,036	104	-69%	#1,342
2010s	612	–	612	61	-41%	#2,390
2020s (to 2025)	223	–	223	37	-39%	#3,259

Where Cheryl is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	31	0.02	outside top 500
2027	30	0.02	outside top 500
2028	29	0.02	outside top 500
2029	28	0.02	outside top 500
2030	28	0.02	outside top 500

The story of Cheryl

Cheryl is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,376 in 2025 with 32 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1909, 440,517 American babies have been named Cheryl. Its peak came in 1958, when 24,178 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

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 Cheryl stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Cheryl?

The median living Cheryl is about 66 years old; half are between 59 and 71. An estimated 372 thousand people named Cheryl are alive in the United States today.

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

Cheryl 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	32	#4,376	–	–
2024	37	#3,980	–	–
2023	31	#4,480	–	–
2022	44	#3,548	–	–
2021	49	#3,259	–	–
2020	30	#4,472	–	–
2019	41	#3,677	–	–
2018	57	#2,916	–	–
2017	56	#2,936	–	–
2016	73	#2,488	–	–
2015	56	#3,035	–	–
2014	58	#2,936	–	–
2013	55	#3,013	–	–
2012	72	#2,520	–	–
2011	65	#2,701	–	–
2010	79	#2,390	–	–
2009	64	#2,788	–	–
2008	91	#2,188	–	–
2007	86	#2,257	–	–
2006	87	#2,210	–	–
2005	103	#1,881	–	–
2004	116	#1,669	–	–
2003	115	#1,668	–	–
2002	104	#1,746	–	–
2001	143	#1,342	–	–
2000	127	#1,449	–	–
1995	255	#780	–	–
1990	615	#415	7	#6,520
1985	1,224	#209	8	#4,770
1980	2,609	#119	7	#5,019
1975	2,997	#97	13	#2,926
1970	7,440	#44	24	#1,804
1965	12,550	#31	34	#1,318
1960	19,120	#17	48	#1,132
1955	19,111	#19	32	#1,343
1950	11,823	#29	14	#2,040
1945	8,149	#32	20	#1,505
1940	284	#410	–	–
1935	99	#668	–	–
1930	42	#1,145	–	–
1925	21	#1,902	–	–
1920	13	#2,614	–	–
1915	–	–	–	–
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Famous people named Cheryl

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Cheryl Hines American actress (born 1965) Contemporary
2 Cheryl English singer and television personality (born 1983) Contemporary
3 Cheryl Ladd American actress (born 1951) Contemporary
4 Cheryl Miller American basketball player (born 1964) Contemporary
5 Cheryl Strayed American writer (born 1968) Contemporary
6 Cheryl Lynn American singer (born 1957) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Cheryl?

The median living Cheryl is about 66 years old. Half of all living Cheryls are between 59 and 71 years old.

How many people named Cheryl are alive today?

An estimated 372 thousand people named Cheryl are alive in the United States, based on 440,517 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Cheryl in 2025?

Cheryl ranked #4,376 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 32 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Cheryl?

440,517 babies have been named Cheryl in the United States since 1909, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Cheryl most popular?

Cheryl peaked in 1958, when 24,178 newborns received the name.

Is Cheryl a boy or girl name?

Cheryl is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Cheryl rising or falling?

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

Will Cheryl become more popular?

Cheryl is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 28 girls named Cheryl in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Cheryl?

Well-known people named Cheryl include Cheryl Hines (actor), Cheryl (musician), Cheryl Ladd (actor).

Names like Cheryl

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

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