Boy · #2,006 in 2026

Chet

Name: Popularity of the name Chet in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Chet, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Chet is a male given name, often a nickname for Chester, which means fortress or camp. It is an uncommon name of English origin, and originated as a surname to identify people from the city of Chester, England. Chet was ranked 1,027th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Current Rank

#2,006

Peak Rank

#612 (1963)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

+55%

1909

First Year

2026

Last Year

1963

Peak Year

#612

Peak Rank

Total Count

111

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Chet

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

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Chet

Chet first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1909, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1963, when 164 Chets were born — ranking #612 that year. As of 2026, Chet ranks #2,006 for baby boys with 77 births, rising sharply (+55% over the past five years). In total, more than 6K Chets have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Chet

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

Chit
Chut
Chot
Chat
Cheat
Choate
Chait
Choat
Chatte
Chout
Cead
Chott

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Chet

What does the name Chet mean?

How popular is Chet in 2026?

In 2026, Chet ranks #2,006 among boys' names in the U.S., with 77 babies given the name that year.

When was Chet most popular?

Chet reached its peak popularity in 1963, ranking #612 that year with 164 babies given the name.

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

Chet has historically been most popular in Utah, Montana, Nebraska. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Chet.

Is Chet a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Chet?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Chet include Mortimer, Murry, Delvin. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Chet

Chet is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1909 and has accumulated 6K births in the dataset. Chet's peak popularity came in 1963 when it ranked #612. Use the chart and map above to compare Chet's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.