Cheryl vs Maja
Cheryl and Majacompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Cheryl was ranked #873 and Maja #122 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Cheryl was ranked #5891 and Maja #425 among girls in England and Wales.
Cheryl and Maja over time
Cheryl and Maja appear together in 1 published list, across 28 years of shared records. Maja held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Cheryl in 0.
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.
Cheryl reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Maja 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024
Cheryl held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Maja in 23.
Highest recorded here: Cheryl #671 in 1996, Maja #128 in 2011.
The order changed in 2001: Maja moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #1313 and #1475; by 2001 that had become #3262 and #1359.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cheryl #5891, Maja #425.
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 | Maja |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024) | Norway · Girls #27 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cheryl and Maja both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
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
Maja
Popularity journey
First recorded1960
First recorded at #444 among girls in Norway in 1960 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1960–2025
Highest recorded position: #16 among girls in Norway, in 2009 (recorded 1960–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #27 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls