2000
#5,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,905
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.19
Rare Last name
Chevalier
A French occupational surname referring to a knight or horseman, derived from the Old French word "chevalier."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,514 Americans carry the last name Chevalier. That puts it at #5,158 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 45,615 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chevalier 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 Chevalier with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.5K
1 in 45,615
Census rank
#5,158
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,553 bearers of the surname Chevalier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5158th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chevalier, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.6%. The next largest groups are Black (15.6%) and Hispanic (11.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chevalier
The surname Chevalier originated from the French language, derived from the Old French word "chevalier" meaning "knight" or "horseman". It traces its roots back to the medieval period in France, particularly the 11th to 15th centuries when the feudal system and the code of chivalry were prominent.
During this time, the name Chevalier was often used as a descriptive surname for individuals who served as knights or cavalrymen in the service of nobility or the monarchy. It was a title of honor and respect, signifying the bearer's role as a skilled warrior and member of the knightly class.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Chevalier can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Caballarius" and "Cavalarius," reflecting the French origin and Latin influence.
Over the centuries, the Chevalier surname spread across various regions of France, with notable concentrations in Normandy, Brittany, and the Île-de-France region around Paris. It also gained a presence in other parts of Europe, particularly in areas with French cultural and linguistic influence.
Some notable individuals who bore the surname Chevalier throughout history include Michel Chevalier (1806-1879), a French economist and statesman; Maurice Chevalier (1888-1972), a renowned French actor, singer, and entertainer; Jacques Chevalier (1882-1962), a French philosopher and theologian; Étienne Chevalier (c.1410-1474), a prominent French nobleman and treasurer to King Charles VII; and Gabriel Chevalier (1859-1934), a French sculptor known for his works depicting scenes from rural life.
The Chevalier surname has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout France, such as Chevalier-sur-Drac, a commune in the Isère department, and Château-Chevalier, a village in the Dordogne department. These place names often derived from the presence of knightly families or estates in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chevalier
Among Census respondents with the surname Chevalier, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.6%. The next largest groups are Black (15.6%) and Hispanic (11.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Chevalier 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 Chevalier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.6% · 4,366
- Black or African American15.6% · 1,024
- Hispanic or Latino11.9% · 781
- Two or more races3.8% · 251
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 77
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 54
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chevalier
Chevalier 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
#5,412
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,431
+526 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 2.18
Rank movement Up 14 places
2020
#5,158
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,553
+122 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 2.19
Rank movement Up 254 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,426 | 5,905 | 2.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,412 | 6,431 | 2.18 | +526 bearers (+8.9%) | Up 14 places |
| 2020 | #5,158 | 6,553 | 2.19 | +122 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 254 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 Chevalier 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 | #5,412 | #5,158 | 4.7% |
| Count | 6,431 | 6,553 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.18 | 2.19 | 0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chevalier bearers went from 6,431 to 6,553 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 254 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,412 to #5,158.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Chevalier
FAQ
Chevalier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chevalier?
Name Census estimates that about 7,514 living Americans carry the surname Chevalier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 45,615 residents.
How common is Chevalier?
Chevalier ranks #5,158 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,553 people with the surname Chevalier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,514), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Chevalier.
Has Chevalier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chevalier went from 6,431 recorded bearers to 6,553. That is an increase of 122 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,412 to #5,158.
What does the Census say about the background of Chevalier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chevalier, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.6%. The next largest groups are Black (15.6%) and Hispanic (11.9%). 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 Chevalier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.6% (4,366 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chevalier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.6%), Black (15.6%), Hispanic (11.9%). 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 Chevalier (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 Chevalier mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a knight or horseman, derived from the Old French word "chevalier." 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 Chevalier (2.19 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 common is the surname Chevalier?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Chevalier? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.