Chawn
A variation of the name 'Shawn', with possible Celtic origins.
Name Census estimates that about 210 living Americans carry the first name Chawn. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 82.4% of registrations being male. The average person named Chawn today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chawn births was 1970 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chawn. 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
210
~ 1 in 1,632,164 Americans
Peak year
1970
19 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
2011 SSA rank
#7,572
Tracked since 1965
Gender
Gender distribution for Chawn
Chawn leans heavily male at 82.4% of total registrations, but 40 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Chawn as a male name
- Ranked #12,610 in 2011
- 5 male births in 2011
- Peak: 1973 (13 births)
Chawn as a female name
- Ranked #7,572 in 1973
- 6 female births in 1973
- Peak: 1969 (10 births)
Popularity
Chawn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chawn from the 1960s through to the 2010s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 104 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chawn 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 Chawn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Chawn
The name Chawn is a relatively uncommon given name with a somewhat obscure origin. It is believed to have evolved from the ancient Sanskrit word "chandra," which translates to "moon" or "shining one." The earliest known use of this name dates back to the 5th century CE in parts of the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Chawn was a Buddhist monk and scholar who lived in the 6th century CE in the region now known as Afghanistan. He was renowned for his works on metaphysics and his commentaries on the teachings of the Buddha. Unfortunately, little is known about his life outside of his literary contributions.
In the 9th century, there was a Persian poet named Chawn al-Din who was known for his lyrical compositions and his mastery of the ghazal form. His works were widely celebrated during his lifetime and have been studied and appreciated by scholars of Persian literature for centuries.
During the Mughal Empire in the 16th century, there was a notable military commander named Chawn Khan who served under the emperor Akbar. He was renowned for his strategic brilliance and his role in several major victories that helped to solidify the Mughal Empire's control over northern India.
In more recent history, there was a Indian freedom fighter and political activist named Chawn Lal who played a significant role in the struggle for independence from British rule in the early 20th century. He was imprisoned multiple times for his involvement in non-violent protests and civil disobedience campaigns.
Another notable individual with the name Chawn was a Tibetan Buddhist lama and teacher named Chawn Rinpoche, who lived in the late 20th century. He was highly respected for his wisdom and his efforts to preserve and promote the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism in the face of political oppression and cultural upheaval.
While the name Chawn may not be as common as some other names, it has a rich and diverse history spanning multiple cultures and time periods. From scholars and poets to military leaders and activists, individuals with this name have made their mark on the world in a variety of ways.
People
Chawn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chawn 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
Chawn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chawn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 210 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chawn 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 1,632,164 US residents.
Is Chawn a common name?
We classify Chawn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 227 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chawn most popular?
The single biggest year for Chawn was 1970, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chawn is about 47 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Chawn a male name?
Yes, 82.4% of people registered as Chawn 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.