Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1963

Chet

Meaning A diminutive of the male given name Chester Gender Boy Rank 2025 #2,186 Trend ↑ Rising 47%

A diminutive of the male given name Chester.

Rank 2025
#2,186
among boys · ↓85 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
65
named Chet · -8% vs 2024
How common
1 in 26,278
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1963
164 babies
All-time total
6,180
#1,554 all-time among boys
First recorded
1909
in Social Security records

Chet popularity over time

6,180 babies have been named Chet 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
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1976Boys

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 Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s 6 1 – #1,301
1910s 49 5 +717% #1,633
1920s 55 6 +12% #2,884
1930s 74 7 +35% #1,945
1940s 216 22 +192% #1,198
1950s 579 58 +168% #696
1960s 1,232 123 +113% #612
1970s 1,228 123 0% #651
1980s 924 92 -25% #848
1990s 625 63 -32% #1,204
2000s 423 42 -32% #1,995
2010s 406 41 -4% #2,554
2020s (to 2025) 363 61 +49% #2,101

Where Chet is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (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 boys Implied rank
2026 69 0.04 outside top 500
2027 73 0.04 outside top 500
2028 76 0.04 outside top 500
2029 80 0.05 outside top 500
2030 82 0.05 outside top 500

The story of Chet

Chet is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,186 in 2025 with 65 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1909, 6,180 American babies have been named Chet. Its peak came in 1963, when 164 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1960s.

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

How old are people named Chet?

The median living Chet is about 46 years old; half are between 29 and 59. An estimated 5,400 people named Chet are alive in the United States today.

median 46 020406080100

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

Chet year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 65 #2,186
2024 71 #2,101
2023 64 #2,227
2022 66 #2,194
2021 51 #2,557
2020 46 #2,698
2019 43 #2,865
2018 50 #2,554
2017 37 #3,136
2016 45 #2,692
2015 38 #3,035
2014 46 #2,630
2013 38 #2,964
2012 30 #3,548
2011 37 #3,058
2010 42 #2,830
2009 24 #4,182
2008 36 #3,169
2007 46 #2,649
2006 33 #3,233
2005 43 #2,576
2004 51 #2,247
2003 45 #2,359
2002 41 #2,433
2001 53 #2,009
2000 51 #1,995
1995 64 #1,494
1990 78 #1,253
1985 76 #1,057
1980 106 #862
1975 135 #714
1970 158 #651
1965 113 #699
1960 118 #718
1955 54 #1,025
1950 21 #1,622
1945 27 #1,272
1940 10 #2,349
1935 14 #1,945
1930 8 #3,064
1925 7 #3,465
1920 7 #3,541
1915 8 #2,863
1910 5 #1,633
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Chet

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

  1. 1 Chet Baker Chet Baker American jazz trumpeter and vocalist (1929–1988) Contemporary
  2. 2 Chet Atkins Chet Atkins American character singer (1924–2001) Contemporary
  3. 3 Chet Faker Chet Faker Australian electronic musician (born 1988) Contemporary
  4. 4 Chet Culver Chet Culver American politician (born 1966) Contemporary
  5. 5 Chet Walker Chet Walker American basketball player (1940–2024) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Chet?

The median living Chet is about 46 years old. Half of all living Chets are between 29 and 59 years old.

How many people named Chet are alive today?

An estimated 5,400 people named Chet are alive in the United States, based on 6,180 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Chet mean?

A diminutive of the male given name Chester.

How popular is the name Chet in 2025?

Chet ranked #2,186 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 65 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Chet?

6,180 babies have been named Chet in the United States since 1909, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Chet most popular?

Chet peaked in 1963, when 164 newborns received the name.

Is Chet a boy or girl name?

Chet is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Chet rising or falling?

Chet is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Chet become more popular?

Chet is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 82 boys named Chet 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 Chet?

Well-known people named Chet include Chet Baker (musician), Chet Atkins (musician), Chet Faker (singer).

Names like Chet

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

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