2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Chadda
An Indian surname likely derived from Chaddha village in Punjab region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 224 Americans carry the last name Chadda. That puts it at #99,304 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,530,153 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chadda 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Chadda with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
224
1 in 1,530,153
Census rank
#99,304
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
195
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 195 bearers of the surname Chadda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 99304th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chadda, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.6%. The next largest groups are White (8.2%) and Two or More Races (6.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chadda
The surname Chadda is believed to have originated from the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the regions of Punjab and Haryana. It is a variation of the more common surname Chadha, which has its roots in the Sanskrit language.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Chadda can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. It lists various castes and communities, including the Chadda or Chadha community, which was primarily engaged in agriculture and trade.
The name Chadda is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "chhada," which means "umbrella" or "canopy." This suggests that the surname may have originated from an occupation or a designation related to the umbrella-making or carrying profession.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Sardar Chadda Singh played a significant role in the Sikh resistance against the Mughal Empire. He was a military commander and a close associate of the famous Sikh warrior, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur.
Another notable individual with the surname Chadda was Gian Chand Chadda, a renowned Punjabi writer and poet who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was known for his contributions to Punjabi literature and his efforts in promoting the Punjabi language.
In the early 20th century, Sir Maharaj Singh Chadda was a prominent figure in the Indian independence movement. He served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India and played a crucial role in drafting the Indian Constitution.
During the mid-20th century, Sardar Mohan Singh Chadda was a distinguished Sikh leader and politician from Punjab. He served as a member of the Lok Sabha (the lower house of the Indian Parliament) and was actively involved in various social and political movements.
Another notable individual with the surname Chadda was Jaswant Singh Chadda, a renowned Punjabi writer and journalist who lived in the 20th century. He was known for his literary works and his contributions to the Punjabi media landscape.
While the surname Chadda has its roots in the Indian subcontinent, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical records and references mentioned above provide valuable insights into the origins and significance of this surname within the cultural and linguistic context of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chadda
Among Census respondents with the surname Chadda, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.6%. The next largest groups are White (8.2%) and Two or More Races (6.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Chadda 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 Chadda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander83.6% · 163
- White8.2% · 16
- Two or more races6.7% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chadda
Chadda 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
#111,988
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 157
+48 bearers (+44.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 28,768 places
2020
#99,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 195
+38 bearers (+24.2%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 12,684 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #111,988 | 157 | 0.05 | +48 bearers (+44.0%) | Up 28,768 places |
| 2020 | #99,304 | 195 | 0.07 | +38 bearers (+24.2%) | Up 12,684 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 Chadda 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 | #111,988 | #99,304 | 11.3% |
| Count | 157 | 195 | 24.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.07 | 30.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chadda bearers went from 157 to 195 (+24.2% change). The surname moved up 12,684 positions in the national ranking, going from #111,988 to #99,304.
FAQ
Chadda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chadda?
Name Census estimates that about 224 living Americans carry the surname Chadda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,530,153 residents.
How common is Chadda?
Chadda ranks #99,304 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 195 people with the surname Chadda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (224), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Chadda.
Has Chadda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chadda went from 157 recorded bearers to 195. That is an increase of 38 (+24.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #111,988 to #99,304.
What does the Census say about the background of Chadda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chadda, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.6%. The next largest groups are White (8.2%) and Two or More Races (6.7%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Chadda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.6% (163 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chadda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (83.6%), White (8.2%), Two or More Races (6.7%). 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 Chadda (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 Chadda mean?
An Indian surname likely derived from Chaddha village in Punjab region. 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 Chadda (0.07 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 common is the surname Chadda?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Chadda at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.