Cherokee
Meaningthe Cherokee people · Native American
- US rank
- #13,208
- Syllables
- 3
- Peak
- #1,261 in 1995
6 babies were named Cherokee in the US in 2025. It has dropped 8,328 places in five years.
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US births per million girls, 1920–2025
US births per million boys, 1975–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Cherokee you might not know, from US birth records. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
- How commonAbout 1 in every 270,270 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Cherokee, 6 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Cherokee would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryCherokee first shows up in US birth records in 1920, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 105 years since.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1995, when it ranked #1,261. Today it's #13,208, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowCherokee was 18× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 15,385 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 270,270.
- TrendCherokee has slipped 8,328 places over the last five years and now sits at #13,208. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- MeaningIn Native American, Cherokee means “the Cherokee people”.
About the name Cherokee
Cherokee is a girl name meaning “the Cherokee people”. It has 8 letters and 3 syllables, starting with C and ending in “-kee”. US birth records list Cherokee for girls from 1920 to 2025, in 68 of those 106 years. Its best year was 1995, when it ranked #1,261 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #13,208, with 6 babies.
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 0.8 | 1,190,476 girls |
| 1940s | 0.9 | 1,052,632 girls |
| 1950s | 1.8 | 546,448 girls |
| 1960s | 1.2 | 862,069 girls |
| 1970s | 9.7 | 102,775 girls |
| 1980s | 11 | 87,260 girls |
| 1990s | 60 | 16,720 girls |
| 2000s | 37 | 27,233 girls |
| 2010s | 17 | 58,038 girls |
| 2020s | 10 | 96,463 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.1 | 467,290 boys |
| 1980s | 0.7 | 1,538,462 boys |
| 1990s | 10 | 96,061 boys |
| 2000s | 4.6 | 217,391 boys |
| 2010s | 1.1 | 898,876 boys |
Questions about the name Cherokee
What does the name Cherokee mean?
Cherokee means “the Cherokee people” in Native American.
Is Cherokee a boy or girl name?
Cherokee is a girl name.
How popular is the name Cherokee?
Cherokee ranked #13,208 for US girls in 2025, given to 6 babies. Its best year was 1995 (#1,261).