Cheval
A French masculine name meaning "horse".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Cheval. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Cheval today is around 61 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cheval births was 1969 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cheval. 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 Cheval. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1969
6 babies that year
Average age
61
years old
1969 SSA rank
#4,017
Tracked since 1969
Popularity
Cheval: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Cheval 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 Cheval during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Cheval
The given name Cheval originates from the French language and culture. It is derived from the Old French word "cheval," which means "horse." The name likely emerged during the Middle Ages in France, when horses played a significant role in transportation, warfare, and agriculture.
In medieval times, names were often inspired by nature, occupations, or personal characteristics. The name Cheval may have been originally given to someone who worked with horses, such as a stable hand, a knight, or a cavalry soldier. It could also have been a descriptive name for someone with a horse-like appearance or personality traits associated with horses, such as strength or endurance.
While there are no known historical references to the name Cheval in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it appears in various historical records and documents from France. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Cheval de Bois, a French knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War between England and France in the 14th century.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Cheval. Here are five examples:
1. Cheval de Saint-Germain (c. 1460 - c. 1520), a French composer and musician during the Renaissance period.
2. Cheval de Frise (c. 1580 - c. 1650), a French military engineer known for designing defensive fortifications and obstacles.
3. Cheval de Franche-Comté (1680 - 1755), a French explorer and cartographer who mapped parts of North America.
4. Cheval de Bataille (1720 - 1789), a French general who served in the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War.
5. Cheval de Montagne (1780 - 1845), a French naturalist and explorer who studied the flora and fauna of the Alps.
These individuals, from various eras and professions, exemplify the historical use of the name Cheval. While the name has French origins, it has been adopted and used in other cultures and countries over time, reflecting the global influence of French language and culture.
People
Cheval + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cheval 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
Cheval: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cheval?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cheval 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Cheval a common name?
We classify Cheval as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cheval most popular?
The single biggest year for Cheval was 1969, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cheval is about 61 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Cheval in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Cheval a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cheval in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Cheval still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Cheval in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Cheval can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Cheval?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Cheval on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.