Chip
A diminutive form of the masculine name Charles, derived from the Germanic word for man.
Name Census estimates that about 2,984 living Americans carry the first name Chip. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Chip today is around 53 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chip births was 1962 (171 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chip. 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
3.0K
~ 1 in 114,864 Americans
Peak year
1962
171 babies that year
Average age
53
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,272
Tracked since 1942
Popularity
Chip: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chip from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 1,229 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chip 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 Chip during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Chips live
The SSA's state-level files cover 26 states and territories. California, Texas, Ohio recorded the most babies named Chip, while Nebraska, Mississippi, Maryland recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 46 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Chip
The name Chip is a diminutive form of the name Charles, which is derived from the Germanic name Karl, meaning "man" or "freeman." The name Karl was popularized by Charlemagne, the famous Frankish king and emperor who ruled in the late 8th and early 9th centuries.
The origin of the nickname Chip can be traced back to the Middle English period, when the name Charles was often shortened to forms like Charly or Charley. Over time, these nicknames further evolved into the diminutive form Chip, which became a common pet name or shortened form of Charles.
While the name Chip itself does not have any direct historical references or appearances in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its origins can be linked to the widespread use and popularity of the name Charles throughout European history.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Chip being used as a first name can be found in the 17th century. Chip Kendall, an English pirate active in the Caribbean during the late 1600s, was known by this name, though his full name remains uncertain.
Another notable figure with the first name Chip was Chip Hilton, the protagonist of a series of sports fiction books written by Clair Bee between 1948 and 1966. These books, aimed at young readers, featured the adventures of a high school athlete named Chip Hilton.
In the world of entertainment, Chip Douglas was the stage name of an American singer-songwriter and record producer who was born John Douglas Hendricks in 1925 and passed away in 2015. He was best known for his work with the pop group The Monkees.
Chip Esten, born in 1975, is an American actor and singer best known for his role as Deacon Claybourne in the television series Nashville.
Chip Kelly, born in 1963, is a former American football coach who gained acclaim for his innovative offensive strategies while coaching at the University of Oregon and in the National Football League.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the first name Chip, a diminutive form of Charles with roots dating back to the Middle English period and the Germanic name Karl.
People
Chip + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chip 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
Chip: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chip?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,984 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chip 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 114,864 US residents.
Is Chip a common name?
We classify Chip as "Rare". It ranks above 95.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,469 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chip most popular?
The single biggest year for Chip was 1962, when 171 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chip is about 53 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Chip a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Chip 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.