2000
#13,848
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,002
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Chae
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese character meaning "talent," "ability," or "wealth."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,426 Americans carry the last name Chae. That puts it at #10,263 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,045 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chae 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
3.4K
1 in 100,045
Census rank
#10,263
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,988 bearers of the surname Chae in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10263rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chae, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chae
The surname CHAE has its origins in Korea, and is believed to have first emerged in the 7th century during the Silla Kingdom. It is derived from the Korean word "chae", which means "wealth" or "prosperity". The name was likely given to families or individuals who were considered prosperous or financially successful.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name CHAE can be found in the "Samguk Sagi", a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, which was compiled in the 12th century. The record mentions a noble family with the surname CHAE who held prominent positions in the royal court of the Silla Kingdom.
During the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), the CHAE surname gained further prominence, with several members of the family serving as high-ranking officials and military leaders. One notable figure from this period was Chae Chung-yeong (1330-1389), a renowned Neo-Confucian scholar and philosopher.
In the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), the CHAE surname continued to be associated with scholarly and literary accomplishments. Chae Je-gong (1562-1637) was a respected writer and poet who served as a royal historian during the reign of King Seonjo.
Another prominent figure with the CHAE surname was Chae Yun-shik (1890-1936), a leading independence activist who fought against Japanese colonial rule in Korea. He was executed by the Japanese authorities for his involvement in the Korean independence movement.
Over the centuries, variations of the CHAE surname emerged, such as Chai, Chey, and Che. These variations often reflected regional dialects or preferences in spelling and pronunciation.
While the surname CHAE is primarily associated with Korea, it has also been found in other parts of Asia, including China and Japan, where it is sometimes spelled as "Zhai" or "Sai" respectively. However, the origins and meanings of these variations may differ from the Korean CHAE surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chae
Among Census respondents with the surname Chae, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Chae 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 Chae surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.1% · 2,781
- White2.6% · 79
- Two or more races2.2% · 66
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 43
- Black or African American0.6% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chae
Chae 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
#11,914
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,628
+626 bearers (+31.3%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 1,934 places
2020
#10,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,988
+360 bearers (+13.7%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Up 1,651 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,848 | 2,002 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,914 | 2,628 | 0.89 | +626 bearers (+31.3%) | Up 1,934 places |
| 2020 | #10,263 | 2,988 | 1.00 | +360 bearers (+13.7%) | Up 1,651 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 Chae 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 | #11,914 | #10,263 | 13.9% |
| Count | 2,628 | 2,988 | 13.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 1.00 | 12.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chae bearers went from 2,628 to 2,988 (+13.7% change). The surname moved up 1,651 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,914 to #10,263.
FAQ
Chae surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chae?
Name Census estimates that about 3,426 living Americans carry the surname Chae. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,045 residents.
How common is Chae?
Chae ranks #10,263 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 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 2,988 people with the surname Chae. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,426), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 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 Chae.
Has Chae become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chae went from 2,628 recorded bearers to 2,988. That is an increase of 360 (+13.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,914 to #10,263.
What does the Census say about the background of Chae?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chae, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Chae in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (2,781 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chae appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.1%), White (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Chae (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 Chae mean?
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese character meaning "talent," "ability," or "wealth." 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 Chae (1.00 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 Chae?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Chae, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.