2000
#8,279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,678
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.36
Rare Last name
Chadwell
Derived from a place name meaning "the cold spring" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,069 Americans carry the last name Chadwell. That puts it at #8,864 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,236 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chadwell 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 Chadwell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 84,236
Census rank
#8,864
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,548 bearers of the surname Chadwell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8864th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chadwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chadwell
The surname Chadwell is believed to have originated in England, and it is derived from the Old English words "ceald" meaning "cold," and "well" meaning "a spring or stream." The name likely referred to a settlement near a cold well or stream.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Chadwell can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and property compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The entry refers to a place called "Caldewelle" in the county of Essex, which is thought to be the origin of the surname.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Chaldewelle," "Chaldwell," and "Chaldewelle," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that time. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name include John de Chaldewelle, who was recorded in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1278, and Robert de Chaldewelle, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls for Oxfordshire in 1327.
The surname Chadwell has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Sir Andrew Chadwell (1550-1623), an English lawyer and member of Parliament who served as a Justice of the King's Bench. Another was John Chadwell (1670-1749), a renowned English architect who designed several churches and buildings in London.
In the 18th century, the name Chadwell appeared in various parts of England, including the county of Essex, where the village of Chadwell St. Mary and the parish of Chadwell Heath were named after the surname. This suggests that the name may have originated in this region and spread to other areas over time.
Other notable individuals with the surname Chadwell include William Chadwell (1789-1865), an English clergyman and author who wrote several works on theology and religious subjects, and Thomas Chadwell (1812-1892), a British politician and industrialist who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Salford.
Throughout its history, the surname Chadwell has undergone various spelling variations, such as Chaldwell, Chaldwill, and Chaldwelle, reflecting the changes in language and pronunciation over time. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained closely tied to its Old English roots, reflecting the location of a settlement near a cold well or stream.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chadwell
Among Census respondents with the surname Chadwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Chadwell 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 Chadwell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 3,190
- Two or more races4.0% · 141
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 108
- Black or African American2.0% · 71
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chadwell
Chadwell 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
#8,862
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,695
+17 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Down 583 places
2020
#8,864
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,548
-147 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Down 2 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,279 | 3,678 | 1.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,862 | 3,695 | 1.25 | +17 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 583 places |
| 2020 | #8,864 | 3,548 | 1.19 | -147 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 2 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 Chadwell 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 | #8,862 | #8,864 | -0.0% |
| Count | 3,695 | 3,548 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.25 | 1.19 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chadwell bearers went from 3,695 to 3,548 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 2 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,862 to #8,864.
FAQ
Chadwell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chadwell?
Name Census estimates that about 4,069 living Americans carry the surname Chadwell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 84,236 residents.
How common is Chadwell?
Chadwell ranks #8,864 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,548 people with the surname Chadwell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,069), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Chadwell.
Has Chadwell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chadwell went from 3,695 recorded bearers to 3,548. That is a decrease of 147 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,862 to #8,864.
What does the Census say about the background of Chadwell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chadwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Chadwell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (3,190 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chadwell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Chadwell (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 Chadwell mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "the cold spring" in Old English. 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 Chadwell (1.19 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 surname Chadwell?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.