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My trusty name dictionary says Cheryl is a "development" of Cherry, influenced by Beryl which was popular in the 1920s (when Cheryl was first used). It was originally pronounced with a hard Ch, but then French Cherie and its phonetic form Sherry became popular (30s or so).. and by the 40s Sheryl appeared -- maybe because some bearers of Cheryl said it with a Sh.

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So Cheryl's sort of an English-language combo of Cherry, Beryl, and French Cherie / English Sherry.

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My dictionary author usually notes famous bearers in his entries, but none are mentioned for Cheryl.

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- chazda