Cheri
Cheri was the 13555th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 6 babies. Its best year was 1967, when it ranked 225th; the most babies were born in 1960 (1,410). Over the last ten years it has moved down 4,994 places. More babies were named Cheri in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Cherie) "darling" · French, English
- Rank in 2025
- #13,555 girls
- Babies in 2025
- 6girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19601,410 babies
- Total since 1880
- 36,080babies recorded
What does the name Cheri mean?
Cheri is a spelling of Cherie, pronounced the same way, so it shares Cherie's meaning and origin.
Cherie is an English name from the French chérie, "darling", the past participle of chérir, "to cherish". Wiktionary points out that the French themselves did not use it as a name. Wikipedia adds that it has also served as a pet form of names like Cheryl and Sharon. It was most popular in the US from the 1940s to the 1970s.
chérie (French, “darling, cherished one”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Cheri, Sherry, Shari, Cheryl.
See also: French names, names that mean love.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Cherie', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Cheri', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Cherie', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Cheri popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 12 since 1961.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #13,555 | 6 |
| 2020 | — | — |
| 2010 | #9,357 | 12 |
| 2000 | #4,211 | 29 |
| 1990 | #1,219 | 138 |
| 1980 | #476 | 444 |
| 1970 | #260 | 1,179 |
| 1960 | #227 | 1,410 |
| 1950 | #330 | 544 |
| 1940 | #1,222 | 36 |
| 1930 | #2,122 | 16 |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Cheri, counting every spelling?
Cheri is a spelling of Cherie, a name family that had 18 girls in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 18 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherie | 12 | #8,470 | 62 |
| Cheri | 6 | #13,555 | 28 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Cheri?
6 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Cheri (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Cheri born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 1,368 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Cheri.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Cheri?
About 30,800 people born in the US named Cheri are alive today, with a median age of 60; half are between 53 and 68. That makes Cheri a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Cheri: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Cheri, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Cheri
What does Cheri mean?
Cheri is a spelling of Cherie, which means “"darling"” (French, English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Cheri?
Cheri was the 13555th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 6 babies. Its best year was 1967, when it ranked 225th; the most babies were born in 1960 (1,410). Over the last ten years it has moved down 4,994 places. More babies were named Cheri in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Cheri a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Cheri in the US.