Given name & surname
Che
“God will add”
In Spanish use, Che carries the interpretation “God will add.”
Original SpanishJosé
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Spanish use, Che carries the interpretation “God will add.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Spanish.
How it developed
Che is used as a form of José.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1968. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Che through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,469
- 2,105 boys · 364 girls
- Most popular year
- 1974
- 112 babies
- 2025
- 10
- #7,773 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −9%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 100% boys.
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 10 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 7,773 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 8.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 94 in 1974. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,686 as a first name in 2020; 3,255 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Che’s family of names
In Spanish usage, Che as a surname is an affectionate form of José. Che has a related form in Chepe. Che has a related form in Chepito.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Che has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its Spanish roots to each of them.
Spanishwhere Che comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Che
- Emperor Wu of Hanseventh emperor of the Han dynasty of China (157 BC–87 BC)155 BC–86 BC
- Ché AdamsScottish footballerborn 1996
- Chang ChehChinese film director, screenwriter and songwriter (1923-2002)
- RhymefestAmerican hip hop artistborn 1977
- Che Gossettwriter and archivist
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Che, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Chauncey
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Hipolito
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>99% boys
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Toussaint
“all saints”
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Jermaine
“woman from Germany” · “a man from Germany”
>99% boys
Enriquez
Enriquez is a surname from Spanish. It is used in English, Tagalog, Cebuano, and Hiligaynon.
>99% boys