Total births
209
Unisex name · since 1976
Cheney
Since 1976, U.S. Social Security records show 209 babies named Cheney, peaking in 2001. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 209
- total births
- 1976–2011
- years on record
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 43%
- born in that decade
Cheney is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 209 have been recorded since 1976.
Cheney has 209 recorded births among girls since 1976, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1976 to 2011.
- 209 total births
- 1976–2011 years on record
- 2000s peak decade
- 43% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
209 girls have been named Cheney since 1976, peaking in the 2000s, last recorded in 2011.
- 209
- total births
- 1976–2011
- years on record
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 43%
- born in that decade
2000s
Peak decade
43% of everyone ever named Cheney was born in this single decade.
2001
Single peak year
22 babies were named Cheney in 2001 - its busiest year on record.
Cheney's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Cheney's full recorded timeline at 1996, 59% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 41% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1981, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2001 peak of 22 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Cheney at a glance
Last recorded 2011Peak year
2001
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1976
Cheney popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1976–2011
- Peak year (2001)
- 22
- Annual births at peak, across 36 years of records
Cheney popularity over time - boys
124 total births recorded since 1970 (Cheney as boys' name)
Cheney by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Cheney's strongest decade.
89 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 43% of all-time use.
Cheney births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 15
1970s
15 births
- 1980s 23
1980s
23 births
- 1990s
1990s
71 births
- 2000s
2000s
89 births
- 2010s 11
2010s
11 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 89 births (43% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cheney? ▼
Since 1976, Social Security records show 209 babies named Cheney. The most recent recorded year was 2011. Its busiest year on record was 2001, with 22 births.
When was Cheney most popular? ▼
Cheney was most popular in the 2000s decade with 89 total births. The single peak year was 2001.
Is Cheney a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Cheney is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 209 births, and as a boy's name it has 124 births.
How long has the name Cheney been used? ▼
Cheney has been recorded in Social Security data since 1976, spanning 36 years of data through 2011.
What names are similar to Cheney? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Cheryl, Chelsea, Cheyenne, Cheri, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Cheney's data
- Cheney's decade-level peak was the 2000s (89 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cheney
Nearby Names Like Cheney
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cheney
Cheryl Girl
#3977 439,539 births
Chelsea Girl
#789 162,884 births
Cheyenne Girl
#870 70,732 births
Cheri Girl
#10373 36,068 births
Chelsey Girl
#5482 31,498 births
Compare Cheney side by side: Cheney vs Cheryl Cheney vs Chelsea Cheney vs Cheyenne
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1976–2011 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cheney: Baby Name Since 1976 - 209 Births, Peak 2001." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cheney. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Cheney draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.