Chere
Of French origin, meaning "dear" or "beloved".
Name Census estimates that about 1,069 living Americans carry the first name Chere. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Chere today is around 57 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chere births was 1954 (49 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chere. 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.
People living today
1.1K
~ 1 in 320,631 Americans
Peak year
1954
49 babies that year
Average age
57
years old
2000 SSA rank
#10,934
Tracked since 1927
Popularity
Chere: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chere from the 1920s through to the 2000s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 304 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chere 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 Chere during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Cheres live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Texas, Louisiana recorded the most babies named Chere, while Ohio, New York, Maryland recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 33 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Chere
The name Chere originates from the French language and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is derived from the French word "chère," which means "dear" or "beloved." The name was likely initially used as a term of endearment before becoming a given name.
In the Middle Ages, the name Chere was sometimes spelled as "Chiere" or "Chère." This variation was due to the inconsistencies in spelling during that time period. The name was primarily used in France and other French-speaking regions of Europe.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chere can be found in the historical records of the French city of Rouen in the late 16th century. A woman named Chere Lefebvre was mentioned in a legal document dated 1587.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Chere. One famous example is Chere Layton, an American actress and singer who was born in 1910 and appeared in numerous films and stage productions during the 1930s and 1940s.
Another prominent figure with the name Chere is Chere Campbell Rhodes, an African American educator and civil rights activist born in 1914. She played a significant role in desegregating schools in the United States and was a member of the NAACP.
In the literary world, Chere Ami was the name given to a carrier pigeon that became famous during World War I for delivering a crucial message while being shot and injured. The bird's actions saved the lives of many Allied soldiers and earned it the French Croix de Guerre medal.
The name Chere also appears in the works of renowned French authors. In the novel "Les Misérables" by Victor Hugo, one of the characters is named Chere Cosette, reflecting the French origins of the name.
Another notable individual named Chere was Chere Regehr, a Canadian artist and sculptor born in 1942. Her works have been exhibited in galleries across North America and Europe, and she is known for her innovative use of materials and techniques.
While the name Chere may not be as common today as it once was, its historical significance and endearing meaning have left a lasting impact on various cultures and disciplines.
People
Chere + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chere 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
Chere: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chere?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,069 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chere 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 320,631 US residents.
Is Chere a common name?
We classify Chere as "Rare". It ranks above 90.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,347 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chere most popular?
The single biggest year for Chere was 1954, when 49 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chere is about 57 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Chere a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Chere 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.