Cheyenne

• Origin: Lakota
• Usage: English, Dutch (modern, rare), French (modern, rare), German (modern)
• Meaning: “foreign speakers.”
• Gender: unisex, predominately feminine
• First Est. 1830s
• Variations: Cheyanne, Shyanne
• Dims: Chey, Shy
• Pron: shy-ANN

From the name of a Native American people of the Great Plains. The ethnonym entered English through French and is ultimately derived from the Dakota word Šahíyena, corresponding to Lakota Šahíyela. It is usually interpreted as “little Šahíya,” with Šahíya possibly referring to the Cree or another Algonquian-speaking people. It has also traditionally been interpreted as “foreign speakers” or “people of a different language.”

As a given name, Cheyenne has been in occasional unisex use since the early 1800s, particularly in the western United States. Early bearers came from various ethnic backgrounds, including Native American, White and mixed Native American and White families. Among Native American bearers, it is often difficult to determine their specific tribal affiliations from surviving records.

The name became more widespread during the 1950s, possibly influenced by the Western television series Cheyenne (1955–1963), and became predominantly feminine by the 1980s. It appeared in the U.S. Top 1000 Male Names only twice: at #897 in 1957 and #972 in 1991.

Cheyenne first entered the U.S. Top 1000 Female Names in 1980 and reached the Top 100 in 1994. Its rise may have been bolstered by Cheyenne Phillips, a prominent character on the television series Renegade (1992–1996). Garth Brooks’s hit single “The Beaches of Cheyenne,” which reached #1 on the Billboard country chart in 1996, may have provided the name with further exposure around the time of its peak. Cheyenne reached its highest rank of #68 in both 1996 and 1997. It currently ranks as the 920th most popular female name in the United States (2025).

Its use has spread to several other countries, primarily as a female name. Cheyenne appeared in the England & Wales Top 1000 Female Names between 1996 and 2008, peaking at #342 in 2000. It appeared in the New Zealand Top 100 between 1995 and 2000, peaking at #62 in 1998.

It also became widespread in non-Anglophone countries, having appeared in the Netherlands charts between 2008 and 2014, where it peaked at #242 in 2008, and in the French Top 500 between 1994 and 2007, peaking at #259 in 1997. In Germany, it was among the top 150 most selected female names between 1994-1995 and again between 2012-2014.

It was borne by fashion model and daughter of Marlon Brando, Cheyenne Brando (1970-1995), American singer and songwriter, Cheyenne Kimball (b. 1990), and American golfer, half-sister of Tiger Woods, Cheyenne Woods (b. 1990).

Sister Names: Acadia, Avonleigh, Aspen, Bama, Brooklyn, Bristol, Caledonia, China, Cree, Crimson, Dakota, Dallas, Daytona, Denali, Eden, Everl(e)y, Geneva, Genesee, Giverny, Haven, Holliday, Harvest, India, Indiana, Indigo, Jade, Jessie, Juneau, Kissimmee, Laramie, Leilani, Liberty, Montana, Nautica, Nevada, Navy, Odessa, Oneida, Presley, Savannah, Sedona, Seneca, Shasta, Shenandoah, Sierra, Sonoma, Tallulah, Tennessee, Texana, Wilda, Winona, Wylie, Zona

Brother Names: Austin, Baylor, Beau, Bodhi, Boone, Brooks, Canyon, Carson, Cash, Cody, Colt, Cree, Dash, Dakota, Dallas, Denver, Easton, Everett, Folsom, Ford, Gatlin, Harlem, Heath, Holden, Hudson, Maverick, Memphis, Nash, Kai, Keanu, Kenai, Koda, Kodiak, Levi, Phoenix, Remington, Rio, Ryder, Sawyer, Stetson, Talbot, Talon, Tiger, Waylon, Walker, Weston, Whitaker, Wilder, Wyatt, Zane, Zebulon

Sources

• http://www.familysearch.org
• http://www.findagrave.com
• https://www.behindthename.com/name/cheyenne
• https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheyenne_(Vorname)
• https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheyenne_(pr%C3%A9nom)