Chealsea
A feminine name of English origin meaning either "chalk wharf" or "open meadow".
Name Census estimates that about 218 living Americans carry the first name Chealsea. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Chealsea today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chealsea births was 1993 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chealsea. 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
218
~ 1 in 1,572,268 Americans
Peak year
1993
24 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2008 SSA rank
#12,837
Tracked since 1987
Popularity
Chealsea: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chealsea from the 1980s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 145 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Chealsea remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chealsea 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 Chealsea during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Chealseas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Chealsea
The name Chealsea is believed to have originated from the Old English words "ceald" and "ey," meaning "cold" and "island," respectively. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a settlement or location on a cold or chilly island.
In the early 11th century, the name appeared as "Chelcheie" in the Domesday Book, a record of landowners and settlements compiled in 1086 under the order of William the Conqueror. This early spelling variation reflects the name's Anglo-Saxon roots and its association with a particular geographic area.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Chealsea was Chealsea de Mauney, a Norman noblewoman who lived in the 12th century. She was a prominent figure in the court of King Henry II and was known for her involvement in various political intrigues of the time.
During the Renaissance period, Chealsea gained popularity as a given name among the English aristocracy. Notable figures from this era include Chealsea Howard (1541-1593), a courtier and close friend of Queen Elizabeth I, and Chealsea Dudley (1567-1643), a renowned diplomat and patron of the arts.
In the 17th century, the name Chealsea became associated with the famous Chealsea Physic Garden, established in London in 1673 by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries. This historical botanical garden played a significant role in the study and cultivation of medicinal plants, further contributing to the name's recognition and prestige.
One of the most famous individuals named Chealsea was Chealsea Bun (1712-1793), a renowned English poet and playwright. Her works, which included satirical plays and witty verse, were highly celebrated during the Age of Enlightenment and earned her a prominent place in the literary canon of the time.
Another notable figure was Chealsea Manning (1785-1851), a British naval officer who distinguished herself during the Napoleonic Wars. She was renowned for her bravery and tactical skills, and her exploits were widely documented in maritime histories and chronicles of the era.
People
Chealsea + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chealsea 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
Chealsea: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chealsea?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 218 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chealsea 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 1,572,268 US residents.
Is Chealsea a common name?
We classify Chealsea as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 225 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chealsea most popular?
The single biggest year for Chealsea was 1993, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chealsea is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Chealsea a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Chealsea 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.