2000
#979
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 32,433
First available Census row
Per 100,000 12.02
Uncommon Last name
Chaney
Derived from a place name meaning "oak wood" in Old French, or from a nickname meaning "oak-hearted" or "steadfast."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 36,336 Americans carry the last name Chaney. That puts it at #1,084 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,433 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chaney surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Chaney with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
36K
1 in 9,433
Census rank
#1,084
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
32K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 31,687 bearers of the surname Chaney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1084th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaney, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.9%. The next largest groups are Black (23.0%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chaney
The surname Chaney has its roots in France, originating from the Old French word "chanoine," which translates to "canon" or "member of a cathedral clergy." The name's earliest recorded instances can be traced back to the 12th century in the region of Normandy.
In the medieval period, the name Chaney was often associated with individuals who held positions within the clergy or had close ties to religious institutions. It's believed that the name was initially bestowed upon those who lived near or worked in cathedral precincts, gradually evolving into a hereditary surname.
One of the earliest known references to the name Chaney can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1199, which mention a certain "Radulfus Chanonie." This record suggests that the name had already gained prominence in England by the late 12th century, likely brought over by Norman settlers after the conquest of 1066.
The Chaney surname has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, including Chaneye, Chaunay, and Channy. These variations reflect the influences of regional dialects and scribal errors in record-keeping during the Middle Ages.
Prominent individuals bearing the Chaney surname include John Chaney (1765-1845), an early American settler and Revolutionary War veteran from Pennsylvania. Another notable figure was William Chaney (1821-1889), a prosperous businessman and pioneer in the logging industry of Wisconsin.
In the literary realm, John Armstrong Chaney (1856-1922) was an acclaimed American author and journalist, best known for his works on Native American culture and the American West. Chaney's writings provided valuable insights into the lives and traditions of indigenous communities during the late 19th century.
The name Chaney has also been associated with various place names, such as Chaneyville, a small community in Louisiana named after the Chaney family who settled there in the early 19th century. Additionally, Chaney Creek in Oregon bears the name of an early settler, likely a member of the same family.
Throughout the centuries, the Chaney surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, ranging from clergymen and soldiers to writers and entrepreneurs. While its origins can be traced back to medieval France, the name has since become a part of the cultural tapestry of numerous countries and communities worldwide.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chaney
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaney, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.9%. The next largest groups are Black (23.0%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Chaney bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Chaney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.9% · 21,514
- Black or African American23.0% · 7,297
- Two or more races4.7% · 1,499
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 960
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 242
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 175
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chaney
Chaney appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,059
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,201
+768 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 11.26
Rank movement Down 80 places
2020
#1,084
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,687
-1,514 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 10.60
Rank movement Down 25 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #979 | 32,433 | 12.02 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,059 | 33,201 | 11.26 | +768 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 80 places |
| 2020 | #1,084 | 31,687 | 10.60 | -1,514 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 25 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Chaney surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,059 | #1,084 | -2.4% |
| Count | 33,201 | 31,687 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 11.26 | 10.60 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chaney bearers went from 33,201 to 31,687 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 25 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,059 to #1,084.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Chaney
FAQ
Chaney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chaney?
Name Census estimates that about 36,336 living Americans carry the surname Chaney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,433 residents.
How common is Chaney?
Chaney ranks #1,084 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 11 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 31,687 people with the surname Chaney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (36,336), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 11 of them to have the surname Chaney.
Has Chaney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chaney went from 33,201 recorded bearers to 31,687. That is a decrease of 1,514 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,059 to #1,084.
What does the Census say about the background of Chaney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaney, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.9%. The next largest groups are Black (23.0%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Chaney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.9% (21,514 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chaney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.9%), Black (23.0%), Two or More Races (4.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Chaney (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Chaney mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "oak wood" in Old French, or from a nickname meaning "oak-hearted" or "steadfast." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Chaney (10.60 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Chaney?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.