Total births
439,539
Girls' name · since 1909
Cheryl
439,539 babies named Cheryl in U.S. Social Security records since 1909, with the highest year being 1958. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3977
- among girls today
- 439,539
- born since 1909
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 78%
- more common than other girls
439,539 babies have been named Cheryl since 1909, making it today's #3977 girls' name.
Cheryl has 439,539 recorded births among girls since 1909, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #3977 as of the latest data, more common than 78% of girls, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1909 to 2025.
- #3977 among girls today
- 439,539 born since 1909
- 1950s peak decade
- 78% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cheryl is currently the #3977 girls' name in America, more common than 78% of girls - 439,539 born since 1909, peaking in the 1950s.
- #3977
- among girls today
- 439,539
- born since 1909
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 78%
- more common than other girls
Cheryl vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3977
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 78% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
39% of everyone ever named Cheryl was born in this single decade.
1958
Single peak year
24,119 babies were named Cheryl in 1958 - its busiest year on record.
How Cheryl compares
439,539 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
Cheryl's all-time total is 1,151x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cheryl | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 439,539 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 24,119 | 48 | 19,840 |
Cheryl's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Cheryl's SSA record in two at 1969 and the more recent half accounts for 16% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 84%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1909, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1958 peak of 24,119, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Cheryl at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1958
Current rank
#3,977
Active since
1909
Cheryl popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1909–2025
- Peak year (1958)
- 24,119
- Annual births at peak, across 117 years of records
Cheryl popularity over time - boys
978 total births recorded since 1939 (Cheryl as boys' name)
Cheryl by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Cheryl's strongest decade.
171,387 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 39% of all-time use.
Cheryl births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s 70
1910s
70 births
- 1920s 268
1920s
268 births
- 1930s 1,300
1930s
1,300 births
- 1940s
1940s
70,959 births
- 1950s
1950s
171,387 births
- 1960s
1960s
135,650 births
- 1970s 40,393
1970s
40,393 births
- 1980s 14,319
1980s
14,319 births
- 1990s 3,317
1990s
3,317 births
- 2000s 1,036
2000s
1,036 births
- 2010s 612
2010s
612 births
- 2020s 223
2020s
223 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 171,387 births (39% of all-time use).
How Cheryl 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 Cheryl's total volume
Cheryl vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Cheryl by state
Where Cheryl concentrates geographically, total births since 1909
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 37,195 | 8.5% |
| #2 | New York | | 31,621 | 7.2% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 29,459 | 6.7% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 26,521 | 6.0% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 25,853 | 5.9% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 25,845 | 5.9% |
| #7 | Texas | | 19,235 | 4.4% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 17,834 | 4.1% |
California share of Cheryl's total US births 8.5%
Even split
37,195 of 439,539 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Cheryl appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cheryl? ▼
439,539 babies have been named Cheryl since 1909. It currently ranks #3977 among girls. The peak year was 1958 with 24,119 births.
When was Cheryl most popular? ▼
Cheryl was most popular in the 1950s decade with 171,387 total births. The single peak year was 1958.
Where is Cheryl most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cheryl are California (37,195 births), New York (31,621 births), Ohio (29,459 births).
How long has the name Cheryl been used? ▼
Cheryl has been recorded in Social Security data since 1909, spanning 117 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Cheryl? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Chelsea, Cheyenne, Cheri, Chelsey, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Cheryl's data
- Cheryl's decade-level peak was the 1950s (171,387 total births); usage has since declined to 223 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Cheryls (37,195 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Cheryl
Nearby Names Like Cheryl
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cheryl
Chelsea Girl
#789 162,884 births
Cheyenne Girl
#870 70,732 births
Cheri Girl
#10373 36,068 births
Chelsey Girl
#5482 31,498 births
Cherie Girl
#6950 29,969 births
Compare Cheryl side by side: Cheryl vs Chelsea Cheryl vs Cheyenne Cheryl vs Cheri
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cheryl
Savina #3976
1,350 births · Peak 2008
Lilli #3978
3,383 births · Peak 2006
Rochelle #3975
46,994 births · Peak 1969
Annastasia #3979
2,083 births · Peak 2016
Zorah #3974
527 births · Peak 2023
Hilary #3980
24,171 births · Peak 1990
Lilyan #3973
4,339 births · Peak 2007
Gracey #3981
2,614 births · Peak 2005
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, 1909–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cheryl: #3977 Girls' Name - 439,539 Births, Peak 1958." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cheryl. 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 Cheryl 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.