Cheyne
A feminine given name of uncertain meaning, possibly a French dialectal term.
Name Census estimates that about 989 living Americans carry the first name Cheyne. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 88.8% of registrations being male. The average person named Cheyne today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cheyne births was 1980 (81 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cheyne. 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
989
~ 1 in 346,567 Americans
Peak year
1980
81 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2017 SSA rank
#11,024
Tracked since 1971
Gender
Gender distribution for Cheyne
Cheyne leans heavily male at 88.8% of total registrations, but 115 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Cheyne as a male name
- Ranked #11,024 in 2017
- 6 male births in 2017
- Peak: 1980 (70 births)
Cheyne as a female name
- Ranked #18,210 in 2007
- 5 female births in 2007
- Peak: 2003 (15 births)
Popularity
Cheyne: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cheyne from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 456 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cheyne 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 Cheyne during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Cheynes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Florida, Hawaii recorded the most babies named Cheyne, while Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Iowa recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 59 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Cheyne
The given name Cheyne has its origins in the Middle English language, derived from the Old French word "chaine," which means "chain." This etymology suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname referring to someone who worked with chains or lived near a chain-making establishment.
During the medieval period, the name Cheyne was concentrated primarily in England and France, where it was used as both a surname and a given name. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 13th century, when a knight named Sir John Cheyne fought in the Battle of Evesham in 1265.
In the 14th century, the Cheyne family played a prominent role in English history. Sir Thomas Cheyne was a distinguished military commander who served under King Edward III and was appointed as the Constable of Windsor Castle in 1349. His son, also named Thomas Cheyne (c. 1347-1439), became a respected diplomat and served as the Treasurer of England.
The name Cheyne gained further prominence in the 16th century with the birth of Sir Thomas Cheyne (c. 1485-1558), a courtier and diplomat who served under King Henry VIII. He was appointed as the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and played a significant role in the dissolution of monasteries during the English Reformation.
Another notable figure with the name Cheyne was George Cheyne (1671-1743), a Scottish physician and philosopher who made important contributions to the field of medicine. He is best known for his work on the prevention and treatment of diseases through diet and exercise, and his writings influenced the development of the concept of holistic health.
In the realm of literature, the name Cheyne is associated with John Cheyne (1777-1836), an English poet and journalist who was a friend and contemporary of Lord Byron. His poetry collections, such as "The Woodman's Tale" and "The Village Curate," were well-received during his lifetime.
These are just a few examples of the historical figures who bore the name Cheyne, but the name has continued to be used across various cultures and regions throughout history, carrying with it the rich tapestry of its origins and the lives of those who have borne it.
People
Cheyne + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cheyne 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
Cheyne: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cheyne?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 989 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cheyne 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 346,567 US residents.
Is Cheyne a common name?
We classify Cheyne as "Very Rare". It ranks above 90% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,024 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cheyne most popular?
The single biggest year for Cheyne was 1980, when 81 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cheyne is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Cheyne a male name?
Yes, 88.8% of people registered as Cheyne 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.
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.