How Many People Are Named Cheri?
An estimated 28,608 people in the United States have the first name Cheri. It is almost exclusively a female name. The average bearer is 59 years old, and Cheri peaked in popularity in 1960 with 1,409 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Cheri as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Cheri paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Cheri has fallen dramatically from its peak in the 1960s. Recent registrations are less than 5% of what they were at the name's height.
Estimated Living Americans
28,608
About 1 in 11,981 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Uncommon
Predicted Gender
Female
100.0% confidence
Average Age
59
years old
Peak Year
1960
1,409 births
Total Registered
36,074
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Cheri
Cheri is almost exclusively a female name. Out of 36,074 total births registered, 100.0% were female.
Cheri as a male name
Ranked #3,594 in 1965
6 male births in 1965
Peak: 1961 (6 births)
Cheri as a female name
Ranked #10,414 in 2024
9 female births in 2024
Peak: 1960 (1,409 births)
Cheri in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 30,101 people with the first name Cheri, which placed it at #1,250 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Cheri was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 30,101 people with this name in that snapshot, 0.1% were male and 99.9% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 100.0% of the time.
Census Count
30,101
people with this name
Census Rank
#1,250
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
9.97
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Cheri was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (86.55%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (6.01%) and Two or More Races (3.33%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Cheri in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Cheri.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 86.55% | 26,059 |
| Black | 6.01% | 1,810 |
| Two or More Races | 3.33% | 1,003 |
| Hispanic | 2.33% | 702 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.00% | 301 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.78% | 234 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Cheri: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Cheri span from the 1920s to the 2020s, covering 11 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1960s, when 11,942 babies were registered. Cheri has declined significantly from its peak in the 1960s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Cheri by Decade
How has Cheri tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Cheri by State
Birth registrations for Cheri span all 50 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, Ohio, Illinois. The lowest are in Delaware, New Hampshire, Maine. On average, about 668 Cheris were registered per state.
Cheri + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Cheri as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Cheri
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
Cheri: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cheri?
We estimate approximately 28,608 people named Cheri are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 11,981 Americans share this first name.
Is Cheri a common name?
Cheri is classified as "Uncommon" and is more popular than 98.8% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 36,074 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Cheri most popular?
Cheri reached peak popularity in 1960, when 1,409 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Cheri is approximately 59 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Cheri in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 30,101 people with the first name Cheri. That placed it at #1,250 in the published Census first-name tables, or 9.97 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Cheri was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Cheri?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Cheri was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 0.1% male and 99.9% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Cheri?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Cheri was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (86.55%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (6.01%) and Two or More Races (3.33%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Cheri a female name?
Cheri is predominantly female. 100.0% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Cheri have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Cheri peaked in 1960, and the average living bearer is about 59 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Cheri Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Cheri Smith, Cheri Johnson, Cheri Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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