Cherita
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "story" or "narrative".
Name Census estimates that about 930 living Americans carry the first name Cherita. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Cherita today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cherita births was 1980 (47 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cherita. 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
930
~ 1 in 368,553 Americans
Peak year
1980
47 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
1998 SSA rank
#14,604
Tracked since 1948
Popularity
Cherita: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cherita from the 1940s through to the 1990s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 358 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
Cherita 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 Cherita during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Cheritas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. Illinois, Ohio, Michigan recorded the most babies named Cherita, while Virginia, Texas, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Cherita
Cherita is a name with origins traced back to the Malay language spoken in Malaysia, Indonesia, and parts of Southeast Asia. The name is believed to be derived from the Malay word "cherita," which means "story" or "tale." This linguistic connection suggests that the name may have carried connotations of storytelling, narratives, and oral traditions within these cultures.
The earliest known record of the name Cherita can be found in the 17th century, during the height of the Malay Sultanates and the era of maritime trade in the region. It is believed that the name was initially used by Malay families, particularly those with ties to the arts, literature, or oral storytelling traditions.
One notable historical figure bearing the name Cherita was a renowned Malay storyteller and performer who lived in the late 18th century on the island of Sumatra. While her exact birth and death dates are uncertain, her legacy as a skilled raconteur and keeper of oral traditions has been documented in various historical accounts and local folklore.
In the 19th century, the name Cherita appeared in several literary works and traditional Malay manuscripts, further solidifying its association with storytelling and the preservation of cultural narratives. A famous example is the epic tale "Cherita Hang Tuah," which chronicled the adventures of a legendary Malay warrior named Hang Tuah.
Another notable figure was Cherita Binti Abdullah, a Malay scholar and writer who lived in the early 20th century (1890-1962). She was known for her contributions to preserving and documenting Malay literature, folklore, and traditional knowledge.
In more recent times, the name Cherita has been adopted by individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, transcending its Malay origins. For instance, Cherita Beverley was an acclaimed Australian Aboriginal artist and activist who played a significant role in raising awareness about indigenous rights and cultural preservation (1939-2016).
While the name Cherita may have evolved and been embraced by different communities over time, its roots remain deeply intertwined with the rich storytelling traditions and cultural heritage of the Malay world. The name serves as a linguistic and cultural bridge, carrying echoes of the narratives that have shaped and defined these societies for centuries.
People
Cherita + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cherita 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
Cherita: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cherita?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 930 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cherita 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 368,553 US residents.
Is Cherita a common name?
We classify Cherita as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,051 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cherita most popular?
The single biggest year for Cherita was 1980, when 47 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cherita is about 50 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Cherita a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cherita 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.