Chudney
Derived from a surname of Old English origin, meaning "from the chalky place."
Name Census estimates that about 75 living Americans carry the first name Chudney. It is a predominantly female name (93.8% of registrations). The average person named Chudney today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chudney births was 1976 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chudney. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Chudney. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
75
~ 1 in 4,570,058 Americans
Peak year
1976
17 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
1976 SSA rank
#5,748
Tracked since 1976
Gender
Gender distribution for Chudney
Chudney leans heavily female at 93.8% of total registrations, but 5 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Chudney as a male name
- Ranked #5,748 in 1976
- 5 male births in 1976
- Peak: 1976 (5 births)
Chudney as a female name
- Ranked #8,959 in 1987
- 7 female births in 1987
- Peak: 1982 (13 births)
Popularity
Chudney: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chudney from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 41 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chudney 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 Chudney 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 Chudney
The given name Chudney has its origins in the ancient Slavic language, tracing back to the 9th century AD. It is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "chud," which means "strange" or "unusual." The name was initially popular among the Slavic tribes inhabiting the regions of present-day Eastern Europe.
During the Middle Ages, the name Chudney appeared in various historical records and chronicles, particularly in the principalities of Kievan Rus'. It was often associated with individuals who were considered eccentric or unconventional in their ways.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chudney can be found in the Hypatian Codex, a 12th-century Russian chronicle. The text mentions a nobleman named Chudney Svyatoslavich, who lived during the reign of Prince Vladimir the Great (980-1015 AD).
In the 13th century, a renowned Russian icon painter named Chudney Bogdanovich gained recognition for his exceptional artistry and unique style. His works adorned numerous churches and monasteries throughout the lands of Novgorod.
During the 16th century, Chudney Mikhailovich was a prominent military commander who fought in the Livonian War against the Teutonic Knights. His bravery and strategic prowess earned him a place in the annals of Russian military history.
In the 18th century, a Russian poet and dramatist named Chudney Ivanovich Kheraskov (1733-1807) made significant contributions to the development of Russian literature. His works, such as the tragedy "Venetsianskaya Monakhina" (The Venetian Nun), were highly acclaimed during his time.
Another notable individual with the name Chudney was Chudney Petrovich Semyonov (1844-1917), a Russian explorer and geographer who led expeditions to Central Asia and contributed substantially to the study of the region's geography and ethnography.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Chudney, reflecting its deep-rooted Slavic origins and its association with individuals who were considered unique or extraordinary in their respective fields.
People
Chudney + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chudney 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
Chudney: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chudney?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 75 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chudney 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 4,570,058 US residents.
Is Chudney a common name?
We classify Chudney as "Very Rare". It ranks above 60.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 81 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chudney most popular?
The single biggest year for Chudney was 1976, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chudney is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Chudney in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Chudney a female name?
Yes, 93.8% of people registered as Chudney 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.
Is Chudney still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Chudney in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Chudney can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Chudney?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.