girl's name
Sheryl
SHEH-rul
- Origin American
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 80,177
Scotland
#839
2020 births
Sheryl respells Cheryl, which is itself a twentieth-century invention — it appears in American records around 1920 with no traceable parent, and the meanings offered for it were supplied afterwards. We record 80,001 lifetime births for it, strongest in France.
- Sheryl is a name of American origin.
- Peaked in 1957, when 4,144 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 255,037 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1921.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Sheryl over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1920s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1920s | 61 |
| 1930s | 537 |
| 1940s | 10,775 |
| 1950s | 30,445 |
| 1960s | 26,113 |
| 1970s | 7,368 |
| 1980s | 2,273 |
| 1990s | 749 |
| 2000s | 361 |
| 2010s | 243 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 101 |
What Sheryl means
Sheryl has no established meaning. It respells Cheryl, a modern coinage with no traceable parent, and the darling and beloved readings were attached retrospectively. The sense passes into the modern name unchanged.
Where Sheryl comes from
Sheryl respells Cheryl, which appears in American records around 1920 and has no secure derivation. Proposals connect it to Cherie, darling, to Charlotte through Cherry, and to a blend of Beryl and Cheryl-adjacent sounds, and none accounts for its actual appearance. It belongs with Arlene, Glenda, Velma and Kendra among names that arrived without an etymology and had one supplied later, which is a larger group than most sources admit.
Sheryl in use
Sheryl peaked in the United States in 1957, when 4,144 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It charts in three of the seven markets we track — 5984th in France, 6789th in England and Wales and 8,014th in the United States on 13 births — across 80,177 lifetime births. Our records carry it only from 1930.
How popular is Sheryl?
In 2025, Sheryl was given to 13 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Sheryl is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Sheryl is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Shéryl | Shéryl is a rare spelling of Sheryl, written with an acute accent and recorded about 35 times, mostly in France. | 35 |
Names that peaked alongside Sheryl
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Sheryl also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Sheryl over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sheryl in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Dutch
- Cheryl
Sibling names for Sheryl
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Sheryl — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Sheryl
What does the name Sheryl mean?
Nothing established. Cheryl is a modern coinage with no traceable parent.
When did Cheryl appear?
American records carry it from around 1920, which is too late for inheritance.
Is it Sheryl or Cheryl?
Cheryl is the older spelling; Sheryl is a later respelling of it.
How popular is Sheryl?
8014th in the United States, and our data marks it stable.
Is Sheryl a girl's or a boy's name?
Sheryl is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Sheryl?
Sheryl has 2 syllables.
Is Sheryl a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Sheryl currently ranks #5,984 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.