Unisex · #13,427 in 2026

Sequoyah

Sequoyah, also known as George Gist or George Guess, was a Native American polymath and neographer of the Cherokee Nation.

  • Cherokee
Current Rank
#13,427
Peak Rank
#4,508 (1997)
Total Babies
470
5-Yr Trend
Stable
👧 Girl peak #4,508 (470 total)
👦 Boy peak #4,537 (201 total)
👧As Girl Name
1977
First Year
2024
Last Year
1997
Peak Year
#4508
Peak Rank
470
Total Count
38
Years Active
👦As Boy Name
1919
First Year
2023
Last Year
1999
Peak Year
#4537
Peak Rank
201
Total Count
25
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Sequoyah

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

Sequoyah, also known as George Gist or George Guess, was a Native American polymath and neographer of the Cherokee Nation.

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

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Cherokee

The Story of Sequoyah

As a girl name

American parents first put Sequoyah on the record books as a girl name in 1977, with 7 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1997, when 23 Sequoyahs were born — ranking #4,508 that year. About 37% of every Sequoyah on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. Sequoyah last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 470 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.

As a boy name

American parents first put Sequoyah on the record books as a boy name in 1919, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1999, when 15 Sequoyahs were born — ranking #4,537 that year. About 35% of every Sequoyah on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. Sequoyah last appeared in the published SSA data in 2023, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 201 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

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

Names that sound like Sequoyah

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

  • Sequoya
  • Sequoia
  • Sequoias
  • Sequella
  • Sequim
  • Acequia
  • Secchia
  • Sokaiya
  • Sequel
  • Sequal
  • Sucka
  • Sequin

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sequoyah

What does the name Sequoyah mean?
Sequoyah, also known as George Gist or George Guess, was a Native American polymath and neographer of the Cherokee Nation.
What is the origin of the name Sequoyah?
Sequoyah has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Cherokee.
How popular is Sequoyah in 2026?
In 2026, Sequoyah ranks #13,427 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.
When was Sequoyah most popular?
Sequoyah reached its peak popularity in 1997, ranking #4,508 that year with 23 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Sequoyah most popular?
Sequoyah has historically been most popular in Georgia, California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Sequoyah.
Is Sequoyah a unisex name?
Yes — Sequoyah is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 70% of Sequoyahs assigned female and 30% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Sequoyah?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Sequoyah include Jonee, Raini, Dunia. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Sequoyah

Sequoyah is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1977 and has accumulated 470 births in the dataset. Sequoyah's peak popularity came in 1997 when it ranked #4,508. Use the chart and map above to compare Sequoyah'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.