2000
#106,477
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 155
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Chaffe
An English surname derived from the Old French term "chafe" meaning "brazier" or "stove".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Chaffe. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chaffe 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 Chaffe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Chaffe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaffe, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chaffe
The surname Chaffe has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "ceaf," which means "chaff" or the dry protective casings of grains or seeds that are separated during threshing. This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who worked with grain or agriculture.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chaffe can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1195, where a person named Richard Chaffe is mentioned. The surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it is spelled "Chauf."
In the 13th century, the surname was sometimes associated with place names, such as Chaff Court in Kent, which was recorded as "Chavecurt" in 1285. This suggests that some individuals bearing the name may have derived it from the location where they lived or worked.
Notable individuals with the surname Chaffe include John Chaffe, a member of the English Parliament who represented Bridport in 1388. Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Chaffe, who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1554.
In the 16th century, the surname was sometimes spelled "Chaffey," as evidenced by the birth of Christopher Chaffey in 1588 in Mere, Wiltshire. This variation in spelling was common during that period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
During the 17th century, the name Chaffe appeared in various records across England, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1662, where a William Chaffe is listed as a resident of Wiltshire. In the same century, a notable figure was Robert Chaffe, a merchant and landowner from Somerset, who lived from 1628 to 1692.
In the 18th century, the Chaffe surname was found in various parts of England, with records indicating individuals residing in counties such as Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. One notable figure from this period was John Chaffe, a clergyman and author who lived from 1711 to 1786 and served as the Rector of Wilton, Wiltshire.
Throughout its history, the surname Chaffe has been associated with various occupations, including agriculture, trade, and clergy, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chaffe
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaffe, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Chaffe 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 Chaffe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 105
- Black or African American9.3% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chaffe
Chaffe 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
#119,508
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 145
-10 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 13,031 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-27 bearers (-18.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,003 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #106,477 | 155 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #119,508 | 145 | 0.05 | -10 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 13,031 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -27 bearers (-18.6%) | Down 24,003 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 Chaffe 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 | #119,508 | #143,511 | -20.1% |
| Count | 145 | 118 | -18.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chaffe bearers went from 145 to 118 (-18.6% change). The surname moved down 24,003 positions in the national ranking, going from #119,508 to #143,511.
FAQ
Chaffe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chaffe?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Chaffe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Chaffe?
Chaffe ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Chaffe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Chaffe.
Has Chaffe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chaffe went from 145 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 27 (-18.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #119,508 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Chaffe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaffe, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Chaffe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chaffe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Black (9.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Chaffe (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 Chaffe mean?
An English surname derived from the Old French term "chafe" meaning "brazier" or "stove". 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 Chaffe (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 are called Chaffe?
See how many Americans have the surname Chaffe on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.