Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1957

Sheryl

Gender Girl Rank 2025 #8,281

A female given name originating as a coinage, variant of Cheryl and Shirley.

Rank 2025
#8,281
among girls · ↓2,858 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
13
named Sheryl · -46% vs 2024
How common
1 in 123,636
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1957
4,144 babies
All-time total
79,026
#442 all-time among girls
First recorded
1921
in Social Security records

Sheryl popularity over time

79,026 babies have been named Sheryl since 1921, 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
0.631.251.882.518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
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 61 – 61 6 – #3,135
1930s 527 10 537 54 +780% #549
1940s 10,713 62 10,775 1,078 +1907% #144
1950s 30,384 61 30,445 3,045 +183% #112
1960s 26,058 55 26,113 2,611 -14% #134
1970s 7,356 12 7,368 737 -72% #214
1980s 2,273 – 2,273 227 -69% #530
1990s 749 – 749 75 -67% #1,355
2000s 361 – 361 36 -52% #2,875
2010s 243 – 243 24 -33% #4,590
2020s (to 2025) 101 – 101 17 -31% #5,423

The story of Sheryl

Sheryl is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #8,281 in 2025 with 13 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1921, 79,026 American babies have been named Sheryl. Its peak came in 1957, when 4,144 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 Sheryl stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Sheryl?

The median living Sheryl is about 65 years old; half are between 59 and 70. An estimated 67 thousand people named Sheryl are alive in the United States today.

median 65 020406080100

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

Sheryl 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 13 #8,281 – –
2024 24 #5,423 – –
2023 16 #7,202 – –
2022 14 #7,974 – –
2021 22 #5,719 – –
2020 12 #8,879 – –
2019 27 #5,018 – –
2018 21 #5,977 – –
2017 23 #5,643 – –
2016 30 #4,717 – –
2015 17 #7,226 – –
2014 23 #5,772 – –
2013 27 #5,130 – –
2012 19 #6,835 – –
2011 24 #5,701 – –
2010 32 #4,590 – –
2009 27 #5,360 – –
2008 45 #3,640 – –
2007 23 #6,056 – –
2006 28 #5,079 – –
2005 26 #5,094 – –
2004 47 #3,260 – –
2003 54 #2,875 – –
2002 31 #4,161 – –
2001 35 #3,774 – –
2000 45 #3,113 – –
1995 68 #2,024 – –
1990 118 #1,355 – –
1985 198 #825 – –
1980 357 #530 – –
1975 575 #362 – –
1970 1,471 #214 – –
1965 2,535 #147 – –
1960 3,055 #142 10 #2,844
1955 3,412 #125 – –
1950 2,110 #145 5 #4,129
1945 1,055 #194 7 #2,963
1940 155 #556 – –
1935 32 #1,301 – –
1930 5 #5,159 – –
1925 6 #4,889 – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Sheryl

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

  1. 1 Sheryl Crow Sheryl Crow American singer-songwriter (born 1962) Contemporary
  2. 2 Sheryl Lee Ralph Sheryl Lee Ralph American actress and singer (born 1956) Contemporary
  3. 3 Sheryl Sandberg Sheryl Sandberg American business executive (born 1969) Contemporary
  4. 4 Sheryl Lee Sheryl Lee American actress (born 1967) Contemporary
  5. 5 Sheryl Swoopes Sheryl Swoopes American basketball player (born 1971) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Sheryl?

The median living Sheryl is about 65 years old. Half of all living Sheryls are between 59 and 70 years old.

How many people named Sheryl are alive today?

An estimated 67 thousand people named Sheryl are alive in the United States, based on 79,026 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Sheryl mean?

A female given name originating as a coinage, variant of Cheryl and Shirley.

How popular is the name Sheryl in 2025?

Sheryl ranked #8,281 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 13 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Sheryl?

79,026 babies have been named Sheryl in the United States since 1921, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Sheryl most popular?

Sheryl peaked in 1957, when 4,144 newborns received the name.

Is Sheryl a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Sheryl rising or falling?

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

Who are famous people named Sheryl?

Well-known people named Sheryl include Sheryl Crow (singer), Sheryl Lee Ralph (actor), Sheryl Sandberg (businessperson).

Names like Sheryl

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

Compare Sheryl with similar names → More names starting with S →