Cherokee
The Cherokee people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States.
Meaning & Origin of Cherokee
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
The Cherokee people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Etymology
Origin & history
The Story of Cherokee
As a girl name
Cherokee first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1920, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1998, when 143 Cherokees were born — ranking #1,265 that year. As of 2026, Cherokee ranks #9,010 for girls with 9 births, falling sharply (-55%). In total, more than 3K Cherokees have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Cherokee first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1975, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1995, when 40 Cherokees were born — ranking #2,055 that year. As of 2026, Cherokee ranks #12,243 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 337 Cherokees have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Where is Cherokee most common?
Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.
- AO34%
- United States29%
- LY14%
- France12%
- VE11%
Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.
Names that sound like Cherokee
Phonetically similar names — useful when Cherokee is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cherokee
What does the name Cherokee mean?
How popular is Cherokee in 2026?
When was Cherokee most popular?
In which U.S. states is Cherokee most popular?
Is Cherokee a unisex name?
What names go well with Cherokee?
About the name Cherokee
Cherokee is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1920 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Cherokee's peak popularity came in 1998 when it ranked #1,260. Use the chart and map above to compare Cherokee's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1998 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . 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 (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
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.