Cheryl vs Lesley
Cheryl and Lesleycompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1967, Cheryl was ranked #44 and Lesley #100 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1964, Cheryl was ranked #72 and Lesley #90 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1998, Cheryl was ranked #498 and Lesley #498 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Cheryl was ranked #5891 and Lesley #3695 among girls in England and Wales.
Cheryl and Lesley over time
Cheryl and Lesley appear together in 4 published lists, across 79 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Lesley reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Cheryl in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1964, Cheryl moved ahead of Lesley in New Zealand · Girls — #78 and #75 the year before became #72 and #90.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Cheryl and Lesley changed places 6 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #5891 and #3695.
- Longest-running competitions
Cheryl and Lesley were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 30 years, from 1965 to 1998, ending at #498 and #498.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Cheryl #671 in 1996, Lesley #671 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls30 shared years, 1965–1998
Cheryl held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Lesley in 24.
Highest recorded here: Cheryl #179 in 1989, Lesley #142 in 1981.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1998: Cheryl #498, Lesley #498.
England and Wales · Girls24 shared years, 1996–2024
Cheryl held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Lesley in 8.
Highest recorded here: Cheryl #671 in 1996, Lesley #671 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cheryl #5891, Lesley #3695.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls14 shared years, 1952–1967
Cheryl held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Lesley in 0.
Highest recorded here: Cheryl #11 in 1952, Lesley #34 in 1952.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1967: Cheryl #44, Lesley #100.
New Zealand · Girls11 shared years, 1954–1964
Cheryl held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Lesley in 7.
Highest recorded here: Cheryl #54 in 1956, Lesley #37 in 1954.
The order changed in 1964: Cheryl moved ahead. In 1963 they stood at #78 and #75; by 1964 that had become #72 and #90.
Most recent shared year, 1964: Cheryl #72, Lesley #90.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Cheryl | Lesley |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024) | England and Wales · Girls #3695 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cheryl and Lesley both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Cheryl
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1972
Highest recorded position: #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1972).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Lesley
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #34 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1967
Highest recorded position: #34 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1967).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3695 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls