Sheryl
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the flower name "cherry".
Name Census estimates that about 58,558 living Americans carry the first name Sheryl. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sheryl today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sheryl births was 1957 (4,143 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sheryl. 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
- • Although Sheryl is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 200 boys registered with the name since 1880.
- • Compared to the 1950s, recent registration numbers for Sheryl have dropped to less than 5% of what they once were.
People living today
59K
~ 1 in 5,853 Americans
Peak year
1957
4,143 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
1973 SSA rank
#4,994
Tracked since 1921
Gender
Gender distribution for Sheryl
Out of the 79,012 babies given the name Sheryl since 1880, 99.7% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Sheryl as a male name
- Ranked #4,994 in 1973
- 6 male births in 1973
- Peak: 1947 (13 births)
Sheryl as a female name
- Ranked #5,402 in 2024
- 24 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1957 (4,132 births)
Popularity
Sheryl: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sheryl from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 30,444 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sheryl 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 Sheryl during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sheryls live
The SSA's state-level files cover 51 states and territories. California, Michigan, New York recorded the most babies named Sheryl, while Delaware, Nevada, Vermont recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 1,495 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sheryl
The name Sheryl is an anglicized form of the French name Chérie, which means "darling" or "beloved". This name has its roots in the Old French word "chiere", derived from the Latin word "carus", meaning "dear" or "valuable". The name first gained popularity in the English-speaking world in the early 20th century.
Historically, the name Sheryl does not have any significant religious or cultural references. It is primarily a modern name that gained widespread usage in the 20th century. However, some believe that the name may have been inspired by the Hebrew name "Sheril", which means "song of God".
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Sheryl dates back to the early 1900s. One notable individual with this name was Sheryl Crow, an American singer-songwriter and musician born in 1962. She rose to fame in the 1990s with hit songs like "All I Wanna Do" and "If It Makes You Happy".
Another famous Sheryl is Sheryl Sandberg, an American business executive and author born in 1969. She served as the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook from 2008 to 2022 and is widely recognized for her advocacy of women's leadership and empowerment in the workplace.
In the literary world, Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American author and playwright born in 1958. She is best known for her works exploring themes of family, relationships, and identity.
Sheryl Lee Ralph, born in 1956, is an American actress and singer who has had a successful career spanning several decades. She is best known for her roles in the Broadway musical "Dreamgirls" and the sitcom "Moesha".
Sheryl Underwood, born in 1963, is an American comedian, actress, and television host. She is a co-host of the popular daytime talk show "The Talk" and has appeared in various television shows and films throughout her career.
While the name Sheryl has gained widespread popularity in recent times, its origins can be traced back to the French language and the concept of endearment and affection. Despite its modern usage, the name has a rich history and has been borne by notable individuals across various fields.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Sheryl
People
Sheryl + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sheryl as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sheryl: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sheryl?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 58,558 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sheryl 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 5,853 US residents.
Is Sheryl a common name?
We classify Sheryl as "Uncommon". It ranks above 99.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 79,012 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sheryl most popular?
The single biggest year for Sheryl was 1957, when 4,143 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sheryl is about 64 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sheryl a female name?
Yes, 99.7% of people registered as Sheryl 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.