Cheryl
Girl name · #4367 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Cheryl? In official American birth records, Cheryl has been tracked continuously since 1909, giving it 116 years of documented American history.
Cheryl is currently the #4367 girl name in the United States — 32 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #3024, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 56,250 girls born in 2025 was named Cheryl.
Babies named Cheryl per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 116-year story
Cheryl first appears in the Social Security records in 1909, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1958, when 24,119 girls were named Cheryl — good for #13 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Cheryl against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Cheryl in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Cheryl is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Cheryl will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Cheryl is most common
State-level data for Cheryl is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Cheryl
Statistically, parents drawn to Cheryl tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Carmel, Connie, Doreen, Maureen, and Carol.
CarmelConnieDoreenMaureenCarolDebraVickyKathy
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Cheryl | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 32 | #4352 |
| 2024 | 37 | #3963 |
| 2023 | 31 | #4454 |
| 2022 | 44 | #3536 |
| 2021 | 49 | #3250 |
| 2020 | 30 | #4453 |
| 2019 | 41 | #3665 |
| 2018 | 57 | #2905 |
| 2017 | 56 | #2925 |
| 2016 | 73 | #2479 |
| 2015 | 56 | #3024 |
| 2014 | 58 | #2922 |
| 2013 | 55 | #3005 |
| 2012 | 72 | #2516 |
| 2011 | 65 | #2695 |
| 2010 | 79 | #2386 |
| 2009 | 64 | #2779 |
| 2008 | 91 | #2184 |
| 2007 | 86 | #2257 |
| 2006 | 87 | #2206 |
| 2005 | 103 | #1878 |
| 2004 | 116 | #1667 |
| 2003 | 115 | #1668 |
| 2002 | 104 | #1744 |
| 2001 | 143 | #1340 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Cheryl?
In official American birth records, the name Cheryl first appeared in 1909 (over 116 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 116 years.
Is Cheryl a popular girl name?
Cheryl ranked #4367 among girls in 2025 with 32 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3024.
When was the name Cheryl most popular?
Cheryl peaked in 1958, when 24,119 American girls received the name (ranked #13 that year). Since 1958 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Cheryl?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 56,250 newborn American girls was named Cheryl. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.