The name Che is of Spanish origin and means "and" or "with". It was popularized by the Cuban revolutionary leader and political theorist, Fidel Castro's brother-in-law, Ernesto "Che" Guevara, who played a significant role in the Cuban Revolution.
Born on June 14, 1928, in Argentina, Guevara became known as Che, which is short for "checha," meaning "little" or "and" when pronounced with the Argentine accent. Guevara was a physician by profession but abandoned his medical career to become a full-time revolutionary, fighting against poverty and injustice.
Che's name has since become synonymous with revolution, rebellion, and anti-establishment sentiment worldwide. The symbol of Che Guevara, often depicted as a red star on a yellow background, is widely recognized as a symbol of left-wing movements and communist ideologies.
The name Che experienced popularity highs in the late 1960s to early 1970s with around 15-19 births per year. However, it saw a steady decline afterwards, dropping to single digits by the mid-1980s. There's another slight peak in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but since then, the name has been quite uncommon, with only 5 births per year from 2000 onwards. Overall, there were 364 babies named Che between 1969 and 2011.