Total births
2,664
Unisex name · since 1970
Chesney
2,664 babies named Chesney in U.S. Social Security records since 1970, with the highest year being 2005. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2990
- among girls today
- 2,664
- born since 1970
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 83%
- more common than other girls
Chesney currently ranks #2990 among unisex names in America, with 2,664 babies recorded since 1970.
Chesney has 2,664 recorded births among girls since 1970, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2990 as of the latest data, more common than 83% of girls, 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 1970 to 2025.
- #2990 among girls today
- 2,664 born since 1970
- 2000s peak decade
- 83% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Chesney is currently the #2990 unisex name in America, more common than 83% of girls - 2,664 born since 1970, peaking in the 2000s.
- #2990
- among girls today
- 2,664
- born since 1970
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 83%
- more common than other girls
Chesney vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2990
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 83% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
35% of everyone ever named Chesney was born in this single decade.
2005
Single peak year
131 babies were named Chesney in 2005 - its busiest year on record.
How Chesney compares
2,664 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
Chesney's all-time total is 7x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Chesney | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,664 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 131 | 48 | 19,840 |
Chesney's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Chesney's full recorded timeline at 1999, 80% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 20% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1973, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2005 peak of 131 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Chesney at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2005
Current rank
#2,990
Active since
1970
Chesney popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1970–2025
- Peak year (2005)
- 131
- Annual births at peak, across 56 years of records
Chesney popularity over time - boys
157 total births recorded since 1990 (Chesney as boys' name)
Chesney by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Chesney's strongest decade.
920 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Chesney births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 55
1970s
55 births
- 1980s 150
1980s
150 births
- 1990s
1990s
378 births
- 2000s
2000s
920 births
- 2010s
2010s
755 births
- 2020s
2020s
406 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 920 births (35% of all-time use).
How Chesney 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 Chesney's total volume
Chesney vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Chesney by state
Where Chesney concentrates geographically, total births since 1970
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 253 | 9.5% |
| #2 | Tennessee | | 151 | 5.7% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 109 | 4.1% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 55 | 2.1% |
| #5 | Missouri | | 47 | 1.8% |
| #6 | Indiana | | 35 | 1.3% |
| #7 | Oklahoma | | 35 | 1.3% |
| #8 | Kentucky | | 34 | 1.3% |
Texas share of Chesney's total US births 9.5%
Even split
253 of 2,664 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 21 reporting states.
Chesney appears in 21 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Chesney? ▼
Since 1970, Social Security records show 2,664 babies named Chesney. Today it holds rank #2990 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2005, with 131 births.
When was Chesney most popular? ▼
Chesney was most popular in the 2000s decade with 920 total births. The single peak year was 2005.
Where is Chesney most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Chesney are Texas (253 births), Tennessee (151 births), North Carolina (109 births).
Is Chesney a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Chesney is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 2,664 births, and as a boy's name it has 157 births.
How long has the name Chesney been used? ▼
Records for Chesney go back to 1970, giving 56 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Chesney? ▼
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 Chesney's data
- Chesney's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (920 total births) through the 2020s (406) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Chesneys (253 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Chesney
Nearby Names Like Chesney
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Chesney
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 Chesney side by side: Chesney vs Cheryl Chesney vs Chelsea Chesney vs Cheyenne
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Chesney
Indira #2989
2,476 births · Peak 2001
Tzipora #2991
1,332 births · Peak 2024
Karli #2988
10,960 births · Peak 1994
Henny #2992
1,056 births · Peak 2025
Brittney #2987
82,203 births · Peak 1989
Sakura #2993
1,783 births · Peak 2012
Cheyanne #2986
15,427 births · Peak 1999
Pessy #2994
1,207 births · Peak 2021
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, 1970–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Chesney: #2990 Unisex Name - 2,664 Births, Peak 2005." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/chesney. 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 Chesney 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.