Chele
An English diminutive form of the name Michelle, from the French feminine form of Michael.
Name Census estimates that about 71 living Americans carry the first name Chele. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Chele today is around 60 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chele births was 1960 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chele. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Chele. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
71
~ 1 in 4,827,526 Americans
Peak year
1960
15 babies that year
Average age
60
years old
1987 SSA rank
#11,620
Tracked since 1958
Popularity
Chele: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chele from the 1950s through to the 1980s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 58 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chele by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Chele during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Chele
The name Chele has its origins in the Nahuatl language, which was spoken by the Aztec people of central Mexico. It is derived from the Nahuatl word "chel," meaning "shoot" or "sprout," suggesting a connection to nature and growth. The name is believed to have been in use during the time of the Aztec Empire, which existed from the 14th to the 16th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chele appears in the Codex Mendoza, a colonial-era manuscript that documented the history and customs of the Aztec people. This codex, created around 1541, includes a list of names commonly used by the Aztecs, with Chele being among them.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Chele. One such person was Chele Antzina (c. 1480-1550), a renowned Aztec healer and herbalist who played a crucial role in preserving traditional Nahuatl medicinal knowledge during the Spanish conquest of Mexico.
Another figure was Chele Martínez (1886-1966), a Mexican artist known for his vibrant murals and paintings depicting scenes from Aztec mythology and daily life. His works were instrumental in promoting the preservation of indigenous Mexican culture and traditions.
In the field of literature, Chele Mares (1942-2008) was a prominent Chicana writer and poet whose works explored themes of identity, social justice, and the experiences of Mexican Americans. Her poetry collection "Papeles de Velado" (Papers of the Night Shift) received critical acclaim and recognition.
The name Chele also holds significance in the realm of sports. Chele Silva (1957-2023) was a legendary Mexican soccer player who represented his country in multiple World Cup tournaments. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers in Mexican soccer history.
Additionally, Chele Orozco (1906-1984) was a pioneering Mexican baseball player who broke barriers by becoming one of the first Latinx players to play in the Negro Leagues in the United States during the era of racial segregation in professional baseball.
While the name Chele may have its roots in ancient Nahuatl culture, its enduring presence throughout history demonstrates its lasting impact and significance across various fields and disciplines.
People
Chele + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chele as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Chele: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chele?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 71 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chele going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 4,827,526 US residents.
Is Chele a common name?
We classify Chele as "Very Rare". It ranks above 59.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 86 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chele most popular?
The single biggest year for Chele was 1960, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chele is about 60 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Chele a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Chele in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.