Chauncy
An English masculinized form of the French Chauncy surname, deriving from a place name.
Name Census estimates that about 1,067 living Americans carry the first name Chauncy. It is a predominantly male name (97.4% of registrations). The average person named Chauncy today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chauncy births was 1980 (40 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chauncy. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.1K
~ 1 in 321,232 Americans
Peak year
1980
40 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,108
Tracked since 1883
Gender
Gender distribution for Chauncy
Chauncy leans heavily male at 97.4% of total registrations, but 33 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Chauncy as a male name
- Ranked #9,108 in 2024
- 8 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1978 (33 births)
Chauncy as a female name
- Ranked #12,040 in 1992
- 6 female births in 1992
- Peak: 1980 (9 births)
Popularity
Chauncy: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chauncy from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 306 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chauncy by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Chauncy during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Chauncys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Texas, California, Georgia recorded the most babies named Chauncy, while Georgia, California, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 7 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Chauncy
The name Chauncy has its origins in the Old French language, derived from the Latin name Constantius, which means "constant" or "steadfast." It was initially popularized in medieval France during the 12th and 13th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 12th-century work "The History of the Norman People" by William of Jumièges, where it was used to refer to a Norman nobleman. The name also appears in various records and chronicles from that period, indicating its usage among the aristocracy and upper classes.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Chauncy de Hertford was mentioned in the Hertfordshire Pipe Rolls, which were administrative records maintained by the English government. This suggests that the name had spread to England by that time, possibly through Norman influence after the conquest in 1066.
During the Renaissance period, the name gained further prominence. One of the most famous bearers of the name was Sir Chauncy Hartington (c. 1495-1549), an English politician and Member of Parliament who served under King Henry VIII. Another notable figure was Sir Chauncy Townsend (c. 1550-1608), an English landowner and Member of Parliament from Berkshire.
In the 17th century, Chauncy Maples (1632-1676) was a prominent English churchman who served as the Dean of Lichfield and the Bishop of Norwich. Around the same time, Chauncy Townsend (1668-1738) was a British Member of Parliament and landowner from Oxfordshire.
In the 18th century, Chauncy Hare (1710-1782) was an English lawyer and politician who served as the Solicitor General for England and Wales. He was known for his legal expertise and his involvement in several high-profile cases of the time.
It is important to note that while the name Chauncy has a long and distinguished history, its usage has declined significantly in modern times, with fewer people choosing to bestow this name upon their children. However, its unique spelling and historical significance make it a distinctive and memorable choice for those seeking a name with a connection to the past.
People
Chauncy + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chauncy as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Chauncy: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chauncy?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,067 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chauncy going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 321,232 US residents.
Is Chauncy a common name?
We classify Chauncy as "Rare". It ranks above 90.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,290 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chauncy most popular?
The single biggest year for Chauncy was 1980, when 40 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chauncy is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Chauncy a male name?
Yes, 97.4% of people registered as Chauncy in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.