Sheryl
Sheryl was the 8281st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 13 babies. Its best year was 1957, when it ranked 112th with 4,133 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,055 places. More babies were named Sheryl in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · American English
Say it SHAIR-ul /ˈʃɛrəl/
- Rank in 2025
- #8,281 girls, up 598 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 13girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19574,133 babies
- Total since 1880
- 79,026babies recorded
What does the name Sheryl mean?
Sheryl is a 20th-century spelling of Cheryl, and Wiktionary also connects it with Shirley. Cheryl itself is a modern English coinage of the early 1900s. It is probably a blend of Cherie or Cherry (from French chérie, "darling") with Beryl, but there is no firm record of how it was formed. Sheryl was most popular in the US in the 1950s.
chérie (French, “darling (via Cherie)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Cheryl/Sheryl is a modern coinage; the "Cherie + Beryl" blend is a likely explanation, not a documented one.
Related names: Cheryl, Sherrill, Sherri, Shirley.
See also: American names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Sheryl', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Cheryl', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Sheryl', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Nicknames for Sheryl
The usual nicknames for Sheryl are Sheri.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheri | Traditional | #14,685 | 33 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Sheryls go by each one.
Sheryl popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 200 since 1932.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8,281 | 13 |
| 2020 | #8,879 | 12 |
| 2010 | #4,590 | 32 |
| 2000 | #3,113 | 45 |
| 1990 | #1,355 | 118 |
| 1980 | #530 | 357 |
| 1970 | #214 | 1,471 |
| 1960 | #142 | 3,055 |
| 1950 | #145 | 2,110 |
| 1940 | #556 | 155 |
| 1930 | #5,159 | 5 |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Sheryl, counting every spelling?
Sheryl has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Sheryl?
13 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Sheryl (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Sheryl 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 646 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Sheryl.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Sheryl?
About 64,100 people born in the US named Sheryl are alive today, with a median age of 66; half are between 60 and 71. That makes Sheryl 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.
Sheryl by state
How common Sheryl was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 50 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Sheryl: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Sheryl, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Sheryl · Sibling names for Sheryl
Questions about the name Sheryl
What does Sheryl mean?
The origin of Sheryl is uncertain: Cheryl/Sheryl is a modern coinage; the "Cherie + Beryl" blend is a likely explanation, not a documented one.
How popular is the name Sheryl?
Sheryl was the 8281st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 13 babies. Its best year was 1957, when it ranked 112th with 4,133 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,055 places. More babies were named Sheryl in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Sheryl a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Sheryl in the US.
Where is Sheryl most popular?
In 2021–2025, Sheryl was most common in New York (0.01 per 1,000 girls).