Find out how popular the last name Cherry is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cherry.

Cherry, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cherry surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cherry in America

Cherry is the 970th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cherry surname appeared 35,877 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 12 people would have the surname Cherry.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cherry to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cherry

The surname Cherry is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "cirse" or "cyrs," which referred to the cherry fruit or the cherry tree. This name likely originated as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near a cherry tree or orchard, or perhaps someone who cultivated cherries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Cherry surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cyricebyrig" (Cherry's town or village). This entry suggests that the name may have been associated with a specific location or settlement during the 11th century.

The Cherry surname subsequently evolved through various spellings, including Chyrie, Chyreye, and Chyrye, before settling into its modern form. These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation common during the medieval period.

During the 13th century, the Cherry surname appeared in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire (1279), where it was spelled "Chyrie." This document also mentions a place called "Chyrie's Park," further reinforcing the connection between the surname and geographic locations.

Notable individuals with the Cherry surname throughout history include William Cherry (c. 1515-1597), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Dean of Lincoln Cathedral. Another prominent figure was Francis Cherry (1623-1713), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Stamford.

In the 18th century, John Cherry (1691-1757) was a renowned English botanist and nurseryman who played a significant role in the introduction of new plant species to Britain. His work contributed to the development of horticulture and the cultivation of cherries.

The 19th century saw the birth of Henry Cholmondeley Cherry (1808-1879), a British Army officer who served in the Crimean War and participated in the Charge of the Light Brigade during the Battle of Balaclava in 1854.

Another notable figure was Robert Gregg Cherry (1891-1957), an American politician who served as the 16th Governor of North Carolina from 1945 to 1949, and later as a United States Senator from 1945 to 1951.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cherry

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cherry.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cherry was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cherry has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cherry was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cherry, please contact us.

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