ESC 

Name Rank Total 

Searching... 

No names found 

Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah...

1909

First Year

2026

Last Year

1958

Peak Year

#13

Peak Rank

440K

Total Count

114

Years Active

Advertisement 

🌍

## Meaning & Origin of Cheryl

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. 

Cheryl is a feminine given name with multiple origins. The name might have originated as a combination of the name Beryl with the prefix Cher- from the French chérie, meaning darling. The name has also been considered a variant of Charles, which is pronounced SHARL in French.

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheryl) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheryl)

### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

* English

📖

## The Story of Cheryl

The earliest SSA record of Cheryl as a baby girl name dates back to 1909, when 5 babies received it. 1958 was its biggest year on record, with 24,118 newborns named Cheryl — #13 in the national rankings. About 39% of every Cheryl on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Cheryl ranks #3,948 for baby girls with 37 births, falling sharply (-19%). All told, over 440K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1900s to the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

## Popularity by State

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 Cheryl

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Cheryl. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* [Cher](/cher)
* [Cherette](/cherette)
* [Cheri](/cheri)
* [Cherie](/cherie)
* [Cherryl](/cherryl)
* [Sharyl](/sharyl)
* [Sheree](/sheree)
* [Sherie](/sherie)
* [Sherill](/sherill)
* [Sherryl](/sherryl)
* [Sheryl](/sheryl)
* [Sheryll](/sheryll)

🎶

## Names that sound like Cheryl

Phonetically similar names — useful when Cheryl is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* [Sheryl](/sheryl)
* [Cheryll](/cheryll)
* [Sherryl](/sherryl)
* [Sharyl](/sharyl)
* [Sheryll](/sheryll)
* [Sherrill](/sherrill)
* [Sherill](/sherill)
* [Jerrell](/jerrell)
* [Jerrel](/jerrel)
* [Shera](/shera)
* [Cherelle](/cherelle)
* Showreel

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Cheryl

What does the name Cheryl mean?

Cheryl is a feminine given name with multiple origins. The name might have originated as a combination of the name Beryl with the prefix Cher- from the French chérie, meaning darling. The name has also been considered a variant of Charles, which is pronounced SHARL in French.

What is the origin of the name Cheryl?

Cheryl has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.

How popular is Cheryl in 2026?

In 2026, Cheryl ranks #3,948 among girls' names in the U.S., with 37 babies given the name that year.

When was Cheryl most popular?

Cheryl reached its peak popularity in 1958, ranking #13 that year with 24,118 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Cheryl most popular?

Cheryl has historically been most popular in Nevada, Michigan, Idaho. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Cheryl.

Is Cheryl a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Cheryl is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Cheryl?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Cheryl include Grace, Violet, Dolores. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Cheryl?

Common variants and related forms of Cheryl include Cher, Cherette, Cheri, Cherie, Cherryl, Sharyl. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

## Similar Names

[👧GracePeak #13](/grace)[👧VioletPeak #13](/violet)[👧DoloresPeak #13](/dolores)[👧AmberPeak #13](/amber)[👧NataliePeak #13](/natalie)[👧MarilynPeak #13](/marilyn)[👧TiffanyPeak #13](/tiffany)[👧GiannaPeak #13](/gianna)

Advertisement 

## About the name Cheryl 

Cheryl is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1909 and has accumulated 440K births in the dataset. Cheryl's peak popularity came in 1958 when it ranked #13\. Use the chart and map above to compare Cheryl's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 1958 → ](/year/1958)
* [ Names of the 1950s → ](/decade/1950s)
* [ Names starting with "C" → ](/letter/c)
* [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

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. 

Advertisement