The Cherry surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 35,877 people carried this name — #970 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 8,220 people counted. That is up 4% from 34,615 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Cherry surname
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 10 births for the Cherry name in 1890.
Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 400 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Down.”
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 82 people named Cherry live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Santa Fe.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 31 people named Cherry.
Most of them — 23 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 5 départements, most often Seine-Saint-Denis.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In the Nordic population registers
43 people named Cherry is counted in Sweden.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).
Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s
Cherry was found among the farmers of 2 counties.
It was most frequent in Oxfordshire: 25 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 400. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.
Where it concentrates, on the mapPer 10,000 farmers, by county
H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.
In Scotland’s registers today
Cherry was recorded 14 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.
That made it the 1484th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 31. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.
National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
In the first U.S. census, 1790
90 families named Cherry, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.
Each family is counted by its head. About 497 people lived in those households, 5.5 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: Cherry, Cherrey, Chery. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.
Families, by state
U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 233 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.
In print
Cherry in American newspapers,
1885–1917.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 4,129 pages in all carry the name.
In print
Cherry in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.
44,382 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Cherry. The most, 6,595, date from the 1930s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 1.6 times its expected share.
Articles, by state
Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Cherry.
Who carried it
People named Cherry,
with a public archive behind them.
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Andrew Cherry 1762–1812 · actor -
Thomas Cherry d. 1706 · cleric
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George Cherry d. 1813
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Frank Cherry d. 1963
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Leonard Adolphus Cherry d. 1940
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Francis Cherry 1552–1605 · diplomat
Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.
In the public record
People named Cherry,
in the records of 8 countries.
Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.
United States2,822 records
- U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,172
- U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 515
- Other U.S. records 1,135
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Example: U.S. registration card, 1942 Military record Francis A. CherryBorn 1918 in New York. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Jay Governors Island; driver from Queens County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1976, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.
U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) -
Example: U.S. registration card, 1942 Military record George CherryBorn 1908 in Mississippi. Enlisted 1942 at Camp Shelby; sawmill worker from Kemper County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1991, buried at Kemper Springs Cemetery, De Kalb, Mississippi.
U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) -
Example: passenger manifest, 1903 Passenger record Francis CherryArrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Pavonia from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 59; matron. From Herford, England.
U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
Showing 3 of 2,822 records for Cherry in the United States.
Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).
Australia1,227 records
- Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 575
- Tasmanian Names Index 235
- Other Australian records 417
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Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829 Transportation record William CherryTransported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Elizabeth, sailing from London in 1831. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1842.
Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: probate petition, 1848 Probate record John CherryDied 1918 in Springfield, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1918.
Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: civil register, 1880 Death record Elsie May CherryBorn 1889 in Hobart, Tasmania. Died 1935 in Tasmania, aged 46.
Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
Showing 3 of 1,227 records for Cherry in Australia.
Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).
Canada68 records
- Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 20
- Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 16
- Other Canadian records 32
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Example: passenger manifest, 1903 Passenger record Mathew CherryCame to Ontario in 1873 aboard the Caspian, bound for Orillia, Ontario; Irish.
Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. -
Example: civil register, 1880 Civil record Matthew CherryKilled in 1917 at the Dominion No. 12 mine, Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. -
Example: Canadian cemetery Burial record Maud Louise CherryDied 1942; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
Showing 3 of 68 records for Cherry in Canada.
Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).
United Kingdom37 records
- War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 20
- Stirling Council burial records 14
- St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 3
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Example: burial register, 1858 Burial record Laurence CherryBuried in 1903 at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 30.
Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. -
Example: burial register, 1858 Burial record George CherryBuried in 1840 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 37.
MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. -
Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919 War record J. A. CherryRoyal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.
National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
Showing 3 of 37 records for Cherry in the United Kingdom.
Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).
New Zealand25 records
- Christchurch City cemetery records 19
- Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 6
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Example: burial register, 1858 Burial record Thomas CherryDied 1958, aged 84; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.
Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: civil register, 1880 Death record Norman Stanley CherryBorn 1909, died 1987; ashes interred at Rangiora Lawn Cemetery, Canterbury.
Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: burial register, 1858 Burial record Noel Hyla William CherryDied 1950, aged 20; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.
Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
Showing 3 of 25 records for Cherry in New Zealand.
Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).
France12 records
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Example: French death register, 1930 Death record Maurice CherryBorn 1896 in Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin); died 1982 in Rochefort (Charente-Maritime).
Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte) -
Example: French death register, 1930 Death record Cynthia Susanna Mary CherryBorn 1931 in Great Britain; died 2000 in Saint-Gaudent (Vienne).
Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte) -
Example: French death register, 1930 Death record John CherryBorn 1918 in Sainte-Lucie; died 1990 in Cayenne (Guyane).
Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
Showing 3 of 12 records for Cherry in France.
Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).
Netherlands3 records
- Dutch population registers 2
- Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
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Example: civil register, 1880 Birth record Matheus CherryBorn 1816 in Maastricht.
Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: U.S. census, 1910 Population register Louise CherryIn the population register of Middelburg; born 1910 in Luik.
Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0)
Showing 2 of 3 records for Cherry in the Netherlands.
Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).
Germany3 records
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Example: German casualty list, 1918 Casualty list Peter CherryFrom Wermersberg, Pfalz. Reported missing in the Bavarian casualty list of 12 February 1915; then reported wounded in the list of 4 September 1915 (Infantry Regiment No. 22).
Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) -
Example: German casualty list, 1918 Casualty list Celesdin CherryFrom Aulnois, Kreis Château Salins. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 29 September 1914 (Infantry Regiment No. 131).
Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
Showing 2 of 3 records for Cherry in Germany.
Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Cherry.
- Cher 251 · U.S. census
- Cheri 236 · U.S. census
- Cherif 341 · U.S. census
- Cherin 186 · U.S. census
- Cheron 186 · U.S. census
- Cherrier 361 · U.S. census
- Cherubin 779 · U.S. census
- Cherubini 452 · U.S. census
- Chervin 160 · U.S. census
- Chery 4,027 · U.S. census
- Chesney 4,491 · U.S. census
- Chesser 5,675 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Cherry is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.