ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 👧As Girl Name 1948 First Year 2024 Last Year 1972 Peak Year #651 Peak Rank 2K Total Count 57 Years Active 👦As Boy Name 1981 First Year 1996 Last Year 1991 Peak Year #3635 Peak Rank 110 Total Count 13 Years Active 🌍 ## Meaning & Origin of Cher What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. Cher is an American singer and actress. Dubbed the "Goddess of Pop", she is known for her androgynous, contralto voice, bold fashion, elaborate stagecraft and multifaceted career. Her screen roles often reflect her public image as a strong-willed, outspoken woman. An influential figure in popular culture, Cher has sustained a career spanning more than six decades through continual reinvention. Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cher) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cher) ### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name) * English [![Wikipedia thumbnail for Cher](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/Cher_in_2019_cropped.jpg/330px-Cher_in_2019_cropped.jpg?utm_source=en.wikipedia.org&utm_campaign=api&utm_content=thumbnail)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cher) 📖 ## The Story of Cher ### As a girl name The earliest SSA record of Cher as a girl name dates back to 1948, when 5 babies received it. 1972 was its biggest year on record, with 235 newborns named Cher — #651 in the national rankings. The 1970s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 56% of all recorded Chers. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (6 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 2K Chers have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s. ### As a boy name American parents first put Cher on the record books as a boy name in 1981, with 8 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1991, when 16 Chers were born — ranking #3,635 that year. The 1990s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 60% of all recorded Chers. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 1996 (11 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 110 Chers have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s. ## Popularity Over Time Girls Boys ## Popularity by State 👧 Girls 👦 Boys ME WA MT ND MN WI MI NY VT NH MA OR ID SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA NV WY NE MO KY WV VA MD DE DC UT CO KS AR TN NC SC AK AZ NM OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL Top 10 11-50 51-100 101-500 500+ No data 🔗 ## Variants & Related Forms of Cher Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Cher. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * [Cheri](/cheri) * [Cherie](/cherie) * [Cherilyn](/cherilyn) * [Cherryl](/cherryl) * [Cheryl](/cheryl) * [Sharalyn](/sharalyn) * [Sharyl](/sharyl) * [Sheree](/sheree) * [Sherie](/sherie) * [Sherill](/sherill) * [Sherilyn](/sherilyn) * [Sherryl](/sherryl) * [Sheryl](/sheryl) * [Sheryll](/sheryll) 🌐 ## Where is Cher most common? Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally. * 🇺🇸United States43% * 🇱🇨Saint Lucia18% * 🇸🇬Singapore13% * 🇬🇧United Kingdom13% * 🇳🇱Netherlands12% Source: [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts. 🎶 ## Names that sound like Cher Phonetically similar names — useful when Cher is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * [Share](/share) * Shair * [Chere](/chere) * Scherr * Sheer * Shear * [Shere](/shere) * Chir * Scheer * Schere * Sure * Shore Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Cher What does the name Cher mean? Cher is an American singer and actress. Dubbed the "Goddess of Pop", she is known for her androgynous, contralto voice, bold fashion, elaborate stagecraft and multifaceted career. Her screen roles often reflect her public image as a strong-willed, outspoken woman. An influential figure in popular culture, Cher has sustained a career spanning more than six decades through continual reinvention. What is the origin of the name Cher? Cher has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English. How popular is Cher in 2026? In 2026, Cher ranks #13,427 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year. When was Cher most popular? Cher reached its peak popularity in 1972, ranking #651 that year with 235 babies given the name. In which U.S. states is Cher most popular? Cher has historically been most popular in Utah, Colorado, Maryland. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Cher. Is Cher a unisex name? Yes — Cher is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 94% of Chers assigned female and 6% assigned male historically. What names go well with Cher? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Cher include Simona, Starr, Shavonne. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. What are nicknames or variants of Cher? Common variants and related forms of Cher include Cheri, Cherie, Cherilyn, Cherryl, Cheryl, Sharalyn. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms. ## Similar Names ### 👧 Similar Girl Names [👧SimonaPeak #651](/simona)[👧StarrPeak #651](/starr)[👧ShavonnePeak #651](/shavonne)[👧PhyliciaPeak #651](/phylicia) ### 👦 Similar Boy Names [👦ObrienPeak #3635](/obrien)[👦EmekaPeak #3635](/emeka)[👦JasdeepPeak #3635](/jasdeep)[👦AyronPeak #3635](/ayron) ## About the name Cher Cher is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1948 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Cher's peak popularity came in 1972 when it ranked #651\. Use the chart and map above to compare Cher's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices. ### Continue exploring * [ Top names of 1972 → ](/year/1972) * [ Names of the 1970s → ](/decade/1970s) * [ Names starting with "C" → ](/letter/c) * [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) * [ Browse unisex names → ](/names/unisex) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships. * Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.