2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Chaber
A surname believed to be derived from the Polish word meaning "tufted plant" or "thistledown".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Chaber. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chaber surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Chaber in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaber, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chaber
The surname Chaber has its origins in France, with records indicating its presence as early as the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "chaber," which was a term used to refer to a field or meadow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chaber can be found in the Livre des Mestiers, a 13th-century document detailing various trades and professions in Paris. This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals involved in agricultural or rural occupations during that time period.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in several legal documents and records from the regions of Normandy and Picardy in northern France. This could indicate that the name had its origins in these areas, where it was likely associated with landowners or individuals who worked on farms or in rural communities.
As the name spread across France, it underwent various spelling variations, including Chabert, Chabbert, and Chabère. These variations likely reflect regional dialects and differences in pronunciation.
One notable individual with the surname Chaber was Jean-Baptiste Chaber, a French physician and botanist who lived from 1635 to 1696. He made significant contributions to the study of medicinal plants and authored several works on the subject.
Another historical figure was Pierre Chaber, a 17th-century French writer and dramatist. Born in 1623, he wrote several plays and literary works that were popular during his time.
In the 18th century, the name Chaber gained prominence with Jacques-Gaspard Chaber, a French military officer and engineer who was born in 1721. He played a key role in the construction of fortifications and military infrastructure during his career.
Moving into the 19th century, Charles Chaber (1792-1859) was a notable French painter and engraver. He was known for his landscape paintings and etchings, which captured the beauty of the French countryside.
Finally, in the early 20th century, Louis Chaber (1884-1957) was a French politician and diplomat who served as the French ambassador to several countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom.
While the name Chaber has roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and even to North America, with individuals carrying this surname contributing to various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chaber
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaber, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Chaber bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Chaber surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 5
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
- Black or African American2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chaber
Chaber appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,437 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 32 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,437 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 32 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Chaber surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #147,253 | #147,221 | 0.0% |
| Count | 112 | 113 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chaber bearers went from 112 to 113 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 32 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #147,221.
FAQ
Chaber surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chaber?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Chaber. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Chaber?
Chaber ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Chaber. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Chaber.
Has Chaber become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chaber went from 112 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Chaber?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaber, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Chaber in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chaber appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (4.4%), Two or More Races (4.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Chaber (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Chaber mean?
A surname believed to be derived from the Polish word meaning "tufted plant" or "thistledown". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Chaber (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Chaber?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Chaber at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.