The baby name Cherrelle became trendy in the ’80s thanks to R&B vocalist Cherrelle, born Cheryl Anne Norton.
She had a string of successful songs during the mid-to-late ’80s following the release of her debut album in 1984. This explains why the name re-appeared in the U.S. baby name data in 1984 (after popping up once in ’70s) and usage spiked in 1986 and 1989:
- 1990: 70 baby girls named Cherrelle
- 1989: 138 baby girls named Cherrelle
- 1988: 91 baby girls named Cherrelle
- 1987: 81 baby girls named Cherrelle
- 1986: 188 baby girls named Cherrelle [peak]
- 1985: 45 baby girls named Cherrelle
- 1984: 37 baby girls named Cherrelle
- 1983: unlisted
The only year it reached the top 1,000 was 1986, when it ranked 879th.
Sources: Cherrelle – Wikipedia, SSA