Total births
2,572
Unisex name · since 1920
Cherokee
2,572 babies named Cherokee in U.S. Social Security records since 1920, with the highest year being 1998. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #8026
- among girls today
- 2,572
- born since 1920
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 55%
- more common than other girls
Cherokee currently ranks #8026 among unisex names in America, with 2,572 babies recorded since 1920.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cherokee has been recorded 2,572 times among girls since 1920, currently ranked #8026 nationally and more common than 55% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1920 to 2025.
- #8026 among girls today
- 2,572 born since 1920
- 1990s peak decade
- 55% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cherokee is currently the #8026 unisex name in America, more common than 55% of girls - 2,572 born since 1920, peaking in the 1990s.
- #8026
- among girls today
- 2,572
- born since 1920
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 55%
- more common than other girls
Cherokee vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#8026
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 55% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
41% of everyone ever named Cherokee was born in this single decade.
1998
Single peak year
143 babies were named Cherokee in 1998 - its busiest year on record.
How Cherokee compares
2,572 Top 19% higher than 81% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Cherokee's all-time total is 7x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cherokee | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,572 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 143 | 48 | 19,840 |
Cherokee's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Cherokee's full recorded timeline at 1992, 79% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 21% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1920, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1998 peak of 143 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Cherokee at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1998
Current rank
#8,026
Active since
1920
Cherokee popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1920–2025
- Peak year (1998)
- 143
- Annual births at peak, across 106 years of records
Cherokee popularity over time - boys
337 total births recorded since 1975 (Cherokee as boys' name)
Cherokee by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Cherokee's strongest decade.
1,067 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Cherokee births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 10
1920s
10 births
- 1940s 15
1940s
15 births
- 1950s 36
1950s
36 births
- 1960s 21
1960s
21 births
- 1970s 147
1970s
147 births
- 1980s 199
1980s
199 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,067 births
- 2000s
2000s
674 births
- 2010s 302
2010s
302 births
- 2020s 101
2020s
101 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 1,067 births (41% of all-time use).
How Cherokee compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Cherokee's total volume
Cherokee vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Cherokee by state
Where Cherokee concentrates geographically, total births since 1920
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Oklahoma | | 220 | 8.6% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 125 | 4.9% |
| #3 | California | | 111 | 4.3% |
| #4 | Texas | | 100 | 3.9% |
| #5 | Indiana | | 52 | 2.0% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 46 | 1.8% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 40 | 1.6% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 37 | 1.4% |
Oklahoma share of Cherokee's total US births 8.6%
Even split
220 of 2,572 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 19 reporting states.
Cherokee appears in 19 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cherokee? ▼
Cherokee has been given to 2,572 babies in the U.S. since 1920, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #8026 as of the latest data. 143 babies were born in 1998, its single highest year.
When was Cherokee most popular? ▼
Cherokee was most popular in the 1990s decade with 1,067 total births. The single peak year was 1998.
Where is Cherokee most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cherokee are Oklahoma (220 births), Ohio (125 births), California (111 births).
Is Cherokee a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Cherokee is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 2,572 births, and as a boy's name it has 337 births.
How long has the name Cherokee been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Cherokee since 1920 -- 106 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Cherokee? ▼
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 Cherokee's data
- Cherokee's decade-level peak was the 1990s (1,067 total births); usage has since declined to 101 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Oklahoma records the most Cherokees (220 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Oklahoma names
- 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 Cherokee
Nearby Names Like Cherokee
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cherokee
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 Cherokee side by side: Cherokee vs Cheryl Cherokee vs Chelsea Cherokee vs Cheyenne
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cherokee
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1920–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cherokee: #8026 Unisex Name - 2,572 Births, Peak 1998." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cherokee. 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 Cherokee 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 June 2026.