Chaunte
A feminine French name meaning "to sing" or "singer".
Name Census estimates that about 435 living Americans carry the first name Chaunte. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Chaunte today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chaunte births was 1978 (37 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chaunte. 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
435
~ 1 in 787,941 Americans
Peak year
1978
37 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
2007 SSA rank
#14,236
Tracked since 1968
Popularity
Chaunte: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chaunte from the 1960s through to the 2000s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 231 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
Chaunte 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 Chaunte during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Chauntes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, New York, Illinois recorded the most babies named Chaunte, while Illinois, New York, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 7 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Chaunte
The name Chaunte has its origins in the French language, emerging during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "chanter," which means "to sing." This connection suggests that the name was likely bestowed upon individuals renowned for their musical talents or melodic voices.
During the 12th century, the name Chaunte appeared in various troubadour poems and medieval French literature, often associated with skilled singers or entertainers. Some scholars believe that the name may have been inspired by the biblical figure of Miriam, who is celebrated in the Book of Exodus for leading the Israelites in a song of praise after crossing the Red Sea.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name Chaunte was a 13th-century French troubadour known as Chaunte de Saint-Gilles (c. 1220-1295). She was renowned for her poetic compositions and performances at the courts of various European nobles.
In the 14th century, the name gained further prominence with Chaunte de Belleville (1325-1390), a renowned French singer and composer who served as the court musician to King Charles VI of France.
During the Renaissance period, the name Chaunte was associated with the Italian composer and singer Chaunte Palestrina (c. 1525-1594), who is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the development of Renaissance polyphonic music.
In the 17th century, the name found its way into English literature, with the character of Chaunte appearing in William Shakespeare's play "As You Like It" (1599). This fictional character was portrayed as a skilled singer and musician.
Another notable bearer of the name was the French composer and organist Chaunte Couperin (1668-1733), who played a significant role in the development of the French Baroque style and served as the organist at the Church of Saint-Gervais in Paris.
Throughout history, the name Chaunte has been associated with individuals renowned for their musical talents, artistic expression, and cultural contributions. While not as common today, it remains a unique and evocative name with a rich historical legacy.
People
Chaunte + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chaunte 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
Chaunte: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chaunte?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 435 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chaunte 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 787,941 US residents.
Is Chaunte a common name?
We classify Chaunte as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 464 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chaunte most popular?
The single biggest year for Chaunte was 1978, when 37 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chaunte is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Chaunte a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Chaunte in the SSA data are female. 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.