Chesney: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#2,785

among girls · ↑196 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Chesney · -8% vs 2024

How common

1 in 26,349

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2005

141 babies

All-time total

2,821

#3,876 all-time among girls

First recorded

1970

in Social Security records

Chesney popularity over time

2,821 babies have been named Chesney since 1970, 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	–	–	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1970s	55	–	55	6	–	#4,978
1980s	150	–	150	15	+173%	#4,152
1990s	378	11	389	39	+159%	#2,253
2000s	920	73	993	99	+155%	#1,555
2010s	755	62	817	82	-18%	#2,083
2020s (to 2025)	406	11	417	70	-15%	#2,234

Where Chesney 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	61	0.04	outside top 500
2027	61	0.04	outside top 500
2028	62	0.04	outside top 500
2029	62	0.04	outside top 500
2030	62	0.04	outside top 500

The story of Chesney

Chesney is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #2,785 in 2025 with 61 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1970, 2,821 American babies have been named Chesney, about 94% girls and 6% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2005, when 141 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

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

How old are people named Chesney?

The median living Chesney is about 17 years old; half are between 9 and 24. An estimated 2,800 people named Chesney 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.

Chesney 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	61	#2,785	–	–
2024	55	#2,981	11	#7,346
2023	66	#2,651	–	–
2022	79	#2,351	–	–
2021	83	#2,234	–	–
2020	62	#2,691	–	–
2019	64	#2,687	7	#9,934
2018	58	#2,880	9	#8,282
2017	81	#2,288	9	#8,283
2016	88	#2,193	–	–
2015	68	#2,627	5	#12,407
2014	74	#2,447	10	#7,649
2013	88	#2,140	6	#10,984
2012	92	#2,083	–	–
2011	66	#2,669	6	#11,070
2010	76	#2,457	10	#7,685
2009	92	#2,167	6	#11,241
2008	89	#2,222	7	#10,045
2007	91	#2,183	9	#8,297
2006	110	#1,851	5	#12,363
2005	131	#1,555	10	#7,204
2004	114	#1,702	15	#5,296
2003	80	#2,171	9	#7,333
2002	85	#2,032	5	#10,948
2001	77	#2,132	7	#8,461
2000	51	#2,824	–	–
1995	31	#3,509	–	–
1990	22	#4,400	5	#8,324
1985	11	#6,095	–	–
1980	13	#5,285	–	–
1975	7	#7,285	–	–
1970	7	#6,462	–	–
1965	–	–	–	–
1960	–	–	–	–
1955	–	–	–	–
1950	–	–	–	–
1945	–	–	–	–
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	–	–	–	–
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	–	–	–	–
1920	–	–	–	–
1915	–	–	–	–
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Famous people named Chesney

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

1 Chesney Hawkes British singer (born 1971) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Chesney?

The median living Chesney is about 17 years old. Half of all living Chesneys are between 9 and 24 years old.

How many people named Chesney are alive today?

An estimated 2,800 people named Chesney are alive in the United States, based on 2,821 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Chesney mean?

From Norman place names meaning “oak grove” (cognate to French chênaie), from Picard quesne, from Vulgar Latin *cassanus, probably from Gaulish kassanos (“oak”).

How popular is the name Chesney in 2025?

Chesney ranked #2,785 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 61 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Chesney?

2,821 babies have been named Chesney in the United States since 1970, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Chesney most popular?

Chesney peaked in 2005, when 141 newborns received the name.

Is Chesney a boy or girl name?

Chesney is used for both: about 94% of babies named Chesney have been girls and 6% boys.

Is the name Chesney rising or falling?

Chesney has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Chesney become more popular?

Chesney looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 62 girls named Chesney in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Chesney?

Well-known people named Chesney include Chesney Hawkes (singer).

Names like Chesney

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

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