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Cheyenne

♀ Girl

Pronounced shy-AN /ʃaɪˈæn/High

Meaning: From Lakota Sioux shahiyena meaning people of a different language or foreign speakers; the name of the Cheyenne Native American nation of the Great Plains, used as a given name referencing the people and their homelandHigh

In 30 seconds: Cheyenne is a name drawn from the Lakota Sioux word for the Cheyenne people meaning those who speak a foreign language, used as a given name evoking the American West, Native American heritage, and the wide plains of Wyoming.
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Origin HighNative American, Lakota Sioux
MeaningFrom Lakota Sioux shahiyena meaning people of a different language or foreign speakers; the name of the Cheyenne Native American nation of the Great Plains, used as a given name referencing the people and their homeland
U.S. rank (2025)#920 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births285 girls (0.02% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1996
Total births (all-time)≈ 70,724

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 199619462025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Cheyenne comes from the Lakota Sioux word shahiyena, meaning people who speak a foreign tongue or foreign speakers, referring to the Cheyenne Nation — a Plains people who spoke Algonquian rather than Siouan languages. The Cheyenne people occupied the Great Plains and were among the central nations in the conflicts of the 19th-century American West. The name Cheyenne entered American geographic naming through the Wyoming city founded in 1867, and from there it spread into the naming culture as an evocative Western place name.

As a given name, Cheyenne peaked in the United States in the late 1990s and early 2000s, particularly popular in states with Western cultural identity. It was used more for girls than boys, though it is genuinely gender-neutral. Country music, Western films, and the American frontier mythology contributed to its appeal. The name has since declined from its peak but maintains steady usage, valued for its connection to Native American history, wide open spaces, and the American West's romantic heritage.

Did you know? Cheyenne, Wyoming — capital of the state — was named for the Cheyenne Nation, and the city's name appears on every license plate in Wyoming, meaning the Cheyenne name is one of the most frequently seen Native American words in American daily life.
Overall data confidence 87%
Behind the Name — Cheyenne — Lakota origin and usage history

Variations

SheyenneCheyanna

Nicknames

CheyChi

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Cheyenne…

Sienna— two-syllable place-name girls name with the same warm, geographic-romantic character
Savannah— three-syllable American place-name girls name in the same Western/Southern tradition
Dakota— Native American place/people name used as a given name with the same Great Plains heritage
Sierra— two-syllable Spanish geographic name evoking Western landscapes like Cheyenne

Frequently Asked

What does the name Cheyenne mean?

Cheyenne comes from Lakota Sioux shahiyena, meaning people who speak a foreign tongue, referring to the Cheyenne Nation of the Great Plains.

How do you pronounce Cheyenne?

It is said shy-AN — two syllables, stress on the second.

Is Cheyenne a boy or girl name?

Cheyenne is used more often as a girls name but is genuinely gender-neutral.

Is Cheyenne still popular?

Cheyenne peaked in the late 1990s and early 2000s and has since declined but remains in use as a Western-heritage name.