2000
#13,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Chappelle
A French occupational surname referring to someone who makes or sells hats or capes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,559 Americans carry the last name Chappelle. That puts it at #13,137 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 133,941 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chappelle 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 Chappelle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 133,941
Census rank
#13,137
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,232 bearers of the surname Chappelle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13137th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chappelle, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.5%. The next largest groups are Black (37.7%) and Two or More Races (7.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chappelle
The surname Chappelle has its origins in France, with records dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "chapele," meaning a small chapel or oratory. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a chapel or was responsible for its maintenance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chappelle can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of landowners and property in England at the time of the Norman Conquest. The name appeared as "de Chapele," indicating a connection to a specific location or estate.
During the Middle Ages, the Chappelle family was prominent in the Normandy region of France. Historical records mention a knight named Raoul Chappelle, who fought alongside William the Conqueror during the Norman invasion of England in 1066. He was later granted lands in Sussex for his services.
In the 13th century, a branch of the Chappelle family settled in the English county of Yorkshire. One notable member was Sir John Chappelle, who served as a member of Parliament during the reign of Edward III (1312-1377). He was also a respected landowner and military commander.
The name Chappelle underwent various spelling variations throughout history, including Chapell, Chapelle, and Chappel. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local record keepers.
In the 16th century, a prominent member of the Chappelle family was Sir Thomas Chappelle (1519-1586), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament during the reigns of Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I.
Another notable figure was François Chappelle (1620-1701), a French merchant and explorer who played a significant role in the early colonization of the Caribbean. He established settlements on the islands of Martinique and Saint Lucia.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Chappelle family continued to be influential in both France and England. Some members were involved in the religious and political turmoil of the time, while others pursued careers in the military, law, and commerce.
Over the centuries, the surname Chappelle has been associated with various place names, such as Chapelle-sur-Vire in Normandy, France, and Chappel in Essex, England. These locations likely played a role in the evolution and distribution of the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chappelle
Among Census respondents with the surname Chappelle, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.5%. The next largest groups are Black (37.7%) and Two or More Races (7.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Chappelle 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 Chappelle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.5% · 1,127
- Black or African American37.7% · 841
- Two or more races7.0% · 156
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chappelle
Chappelle 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
#13,810
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,189
+57 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 661 places
2020
#13,137
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,232
+43 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 673 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,149 | 2,132 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,810 | 2,189 | 0.74 | +57 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 661 places |
| 2020 | #13,137 | 2,232 | 0.75 | +43 bearers (+2.0%) | Up 673 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 Chappelle 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 | #13,810 | #13,137 | 4.9% |
| Count | 2,189 | 2,232 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.75 | 0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chappelle bearers went from 2,189 to 2,232 (+2.0% change). The surname moved up 673 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,810 to #13,137.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Chappelle
FAQ
Chappelle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chappelle?
Name Census estimates that about 2,559 living Americans carry the surname Chappelle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 133,941 residents.
How common is Chappelle?
Chappelle ranks #13,137 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,232 people with the surname Chappelle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,559), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Chappelle.
Has Chappelle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chappelle went from 2,189 recorded bearers to 2,232. That is an increase of 43 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,810 to #13,137.
What does the Census say about the background of Chappelle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chappelle, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.5%. The next largest groups are Black (37.7%) and Two or More Races (7.0%). 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 Chappelle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.5% (1,127 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chappelle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (50.5%), Black (37.7%), Two or More Races (7.0%). 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 Chappelle (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 Chappelle mean?
A French occupational surname referring to someone who makes or sells hats or capes. 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 Chappelle (0.75 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 share the surname Chappelle?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.