UK girl's name
Cheryl
A feminine English name of French origin meaning "darling" or "beloved".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Cheryl is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Cheryl popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5891, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2009, with 39 births.
This profile covers 395 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 8% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 3,972 living people in the UK are called Cheryl. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Cheryl ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2009, when 39 girls were registered as Cheryl.
- • Cheryl ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #815 in 2012.
- • About 3,972 living people in the UK are estimated to have Cheryl as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5891
2024
Births in 2024
3
Latest year
Peak year
2009
39 births
Estimated living
3,972
2026
Meaning
What does Cheryl mean?
The name Cheryl is a modern English feminine name that emerged in the early 20th century. It is believed to have derived from the French name Cherie, which means "darling" or "beloved". The exact origin and etymology of the name Cherie is uncertain, but it is thought to stem from the Old French word "cher", meaning "dear" or "precious".
While Cheryl does not have a long historical lineage, it gained popularity in the United States and other English-speaking countries during the mid-20th century. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Cheryl Crawford, an American theatrical producer and director who lived from 1902 to 1986.
Another notable figure with the name Cheryl was Cheryl Ladd, an American actress and singer born in 1951. She is best known for her role as Kris Munroe on the popular television series "Charlie's Angels" in the late 1970s.
In the literary world, Cheryl Strayed is an American memoirist and novelist, born in 1968. Her memoir "Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail" became a bestseller and was later adapted into a film starring Reese Witherspoon.
In the realm of sports, Cheryl Miller is a former American basketball player who achieved great success in the 1980s. Born in 1964, she led the University of Southern California to two NCAA championships and won a gold medal with the United States women's basketball team at the 1984 Olympics.
Another notable Cheryl is Cheryl James, a British singer and member of the pop group Girls Aloud. Born in 1983, she has enjoyed a successful music career and has also appeared as a judge on the television talent show "The X Factor".
While the name Cheryl may not have a deep historical significance, it has become a popular choice in modern times, with countless individuals bearing this name and leaving their mark across various fields and professions.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Cheryl over time
The chart below shows babies named Cheryl registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Cheryl, the clearest high point is 2009. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 39 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cheryl by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Cheryl was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #5685 | 12 | 4 |
| 2010s | #2212 | 141 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1948 | 151 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1007 | 91 | 4 |
Geography
Where Cheryl is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Cheryl. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Cheryl ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #815 in 2012.
Across the UK
Cheryl in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#815 in 2012
35 years of NRS records, 3,638 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Cheryl
-
Cheryl Kilcoyne
association football player
1994-
-
Cheryl Hole
drag queen
1993-
-
Cheryl Gallagher
association football player
1991-
-
Cheryl McCulloch
association football player
association football player (born 1990)
1990-
-
Cheryl Foster
association football player; association football referee
Welsh footballer (born 1980)
1980-
-
Cheryl Valentine
field hockey player
Scottish field hockey player
1980-
-
Cheryl Frances-Hoad
composer
British composer (born 1980)
1980-
-
Cheryl March
badminton player
badminton player
1978-
Related
Names similar to Cheryl
- Chloe 111,265
- Charlotte 88,733
- Caitlin 28,931
- Courtney 23,162
- Chelsea 13,049
- Clara 9,435
- Connie 8,402
- Catherine 8,376
- Charlie 7,964
- Cerys 7,506
- Casey 7,018
- Cara 6,375
FAQ
Cheryl: questions and answers
How popular is the name Cheryl in the UK right now?
In 2024, Cheryl was ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Cheryl most popular?
The peak year on record was 2009, with 39 babies registered as Cheryl in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Cheryl?
A feminine English name of French origin meaning "darling" or "beloved".
How many people are called Cheryl in the UK?
A total of 395 babies have been registered as Cheryl across the 28 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3,638 more in Scotland.
Where is Cheryl most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Cheryl ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #815 in 2012. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.