2000
#11,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,504
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Chery
A French habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "dear" or "beloved."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,646 Americans carry the last name Chery. That puts it at #6,605 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 60,707 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chery surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
5.6K
1 in 60,707
Census rank
#6,605
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,924 bearers of the surname Chery in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6605th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chery, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and White (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chery
The surname Chery has its origins in France, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "cherre," meaning cherry tree or cherry orchard. This suggests that the name was likely adopted by someone who lived near or worked in an area with an abundance of cherry trees.
One of the earliest known references to the name Chery can be found in the Parisian tax rolls from the 13th century, where a "Jehan Chery" is listed as a resident. The name also appears in various medieval French documents and manuscripts, further confirming its long-standing presence in the region.
During the 14th century, the surname Chery began to spread beyond Paris and the surrounding areas. Records from this time show individuals bearing the name in regions like Normandy and Burgundy, likely indicating the migration of families from the capital.
In the 16th century, a notable figure was Pierre Chery, a French scholar and theologian born in 1521 in Clermont-en-Beauvaisis. He gained recognition for his contributions to religious studies and his work as a professor at the University of Paris.
Another noteworthy individual was Jacques Chery, a French soldier and military engineer who lived from 1582 to 1645. He served under Louis XIII and played a crucial role in the construction of fortifications during the Thirty Years' War.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure with the surname Chery was François Chery, a French architect born in 1720 in Paris. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in the city, including the Church of Saint-Philippe-du-Roule and the Hôtel de Montchenu.
The 19th century saw the rise of Louis-Auguste Chery, a French painter and lithographer born in 1820 in Paris. He was known for his depictions of historical scenes and landscapes, and his works were exhibited at the prestigious Paris Salon.
Lastly, in the early 20th century, Marie-Thérèse Chery, born in 1898 in Marseille, gained recognition as a French writer and journalist. She published several novels and contributed to various literary magazines, becoming an influential figure in the Parisian literary scene of her time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chery
Among Census respondents with the surname Chery, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and White (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Chery bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Chery surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American91.3% · 4,495
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 189
- White2.4% · 120
- Two or more races2.0% · 100
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chery
Chery appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,232
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,027
+1,523 bearers (+60.8%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Up 3,291 places
2020
#6,605
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,924
+897 bearers (+22.3%)
Per 100,000 1.65
Rank movement Up 1,627 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,523 | 2,504 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,232 | 4,027 | 1.37 | +1,523 bearers (+60.8%) | Up 3,291 places |
| 2020 | #6,605 | 4,924 | 1.65 | +897 bearers (+22.3%) | Up 1,627 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Chery surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,232 | #6,605 | 19.8% |
| Count | 4,027 | 4,924 | 22.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.37 | 1.65 | 20.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chery bearers went from 4,027 to 4,924 (+22.3% change). The surname moved up 1,627 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,232 to #6,605.
FAQ
Chery surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chery?
Name Census estimates that about 5,646 living Americans carry the surname Chery. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 60,707 residents.
How common is Chery?
Chery ranks #6,605 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,924 people with the surname Chery. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,646), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Chery.
Has Chery become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chery went from 4,027 recorded bearers to 4,924. That is an increase of 897 (+22.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,232 to #6,605.
What does the Census say about the background of Chery?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chery, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and White (2.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Chery in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (4,495 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chery appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (91.3%), Hispanic (3.8%), White (2.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Chery (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Chery mean?
A French habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "dear" or "beloved." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Chery (1.65 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Chery?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Chery, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.