# Cheryl (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/cheryl/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | girls |
| Origin | not recorded |
| Meaning | not recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈʃɛɹəl/, 2 syllables |
| Nicknames | none recorded |
| Variant spellings | Sheryl |
| US babies named this | 440,517 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 978 / 439,539 (100% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 400, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

Coined in the early 20th century, possibly a blend of Cherie or Cherry and Beryl. (See cher for the etymology of Cherie.)

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 65 | 2,701 |
| 2012 | 72 | 2,520 |
| 2013 | 55 | 3,013 |
| 2014 | 58 | 2,936 |
| 2015 | 56 | 3,035 |
| 2016 | 73 | 2,488 |
| 2017 | 56 | 2,936 |
| 2018 | 57 | 2,916 |
| 2019 | 41 | 3,677 |
| 2020 | 30 | 4,472 |
| 2021 | 49 | 3,259 |
| 2022 | 44 | 3,548 |
| 2023 | 31 | 4,480 |
| 2024 | 37 | 3,980 |
| 2025 | 32 | 4,376 |

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 16 | 2,418 |
| 1974 | 17 | 2,373 |
| 1975 | 13 | 2,926 |
| 1976 | 9 | 3,762 |
| 1977 | 7 | 4,670 |
| 1978 | 8 | 4,221 |
| 1979 | 6 | 5,472 |
| 1980 | 7 | 5,019 |
| 1981 | 5 | 6,439 |
| 1982 | 6 | 5,750 |
| 1984 | 6 | 5,688 |
| 1985 | 8 | 4,770 |
| 1986 | 8 | 4,924 |
| 1987 | 5 | 7,126 |
| 1990 | 7 | 6,520 |

### England and Wales, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 35 | 965 |
| 2011 | 23 | 1,327 |
| 2012 | 12 | 2,215 |
| 2013 | 7 | 3,160 |
| 2014 | 11 | 2,314 |
| 2015 | 11 | 2,328 |
| 2016 | 9 | 2,757 |
| 2017 | 13 | 2,090 |
| 2018 | 9 | 2,674 |
| 2019 | 11 | 2,286 |
| 2020 | 3 | 5,493 |
| 2022 | 3 | 5,669 |
| 2023 | 3 | 5,687 |
| 2024 | 3 | 5,891 |
| 2025 | 5 | 4,201 |

## People named Cheryl

- Cheryl, British singer, dancer, and television presenter
- Cheryl Hines, American actress
- Cheryl Ladd, American actress, singer, and author
- Cheryl Strayed, American writer
- Cheryl Dunye, American actress and director (born 1966)
- Cheryl Miller, American basketball player and coach (born 1964)
- Cheryl Lynn, American singer
- Cheryl Studer, American dramatic soprano
- Cheryl Gillan, British politician (1952–2021)
- Cheryl Ford, American basketball player (born 1981)
- Cheryl Campbell, British actress
- Cheryl Bernard, Canadian curler

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.