Which Jeep model is named after a Native American tribe?

The Jeep model named after a Native American tribe is the Jeep Cherokee.

The Cherokee name refers to the Cherokee, a Native American people whose traditional homelands include parts of the southeastern United States. American Motors Corporation introduced the Cherokee as a 1974 model, positioning it initially as a two-door version of the full-size Wagoneer family. The nameplate later became one of Jeep’s most important SUV lines.

The Cherokee evolved substantially across its generations. The 1984 model became a compact, unibody SUV and helped popularize the format that combined more manageable road manners with four-wheel-drive capability. Later generations moved into crossover-SUV territory, while the larger Grand Cherokee became a separate model rather than simply a trim of the Cherokee.

The answer is sometimes confused with Jeep names such as Wrangler, Patriot, Liberty, or Grand Cherokee, but those names do not identify a Native American tribe in the model’s title. The Cherokee name has also prompted public discussion: in 2021, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. asked Jeep to stop using the tribal name. Jeep nevertheless continued the nameplate, which returned for the 2026 model year after a production pause.