2000
#3,441
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,505
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.52
Uncommon Last name
Chaffin
An English occupational surname derived from the Old French word "chaufin," meaning a bald or balding man.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,496 Americans carry the last name Chaffin. That puts it at #3,784 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,656 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chaffin 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 Chaffin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 32,656
Census rank
#3,784
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.2K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,153 bearers of the surname Chaffin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3784th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaffin, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chaffin
The surname Chaffin is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages, likely derived from the Old English word "cæfan," which means "to chaff" or "to winnow grain." This suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals who worked as farmers or in agricultural professions.
The earliest recorded instances of the Chaffin surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various English parish records and tax rolls. Variations in spelling, such as Chaffyn, Chaffyne, and Chaffyne, were common during this period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
One notable early reference to the Chaffin name can be found in the Cartulary of Dunstable Priory, a medieval manuscript dating back to the late 12th century. This document mentions a person named Walter Chaffyn, who lived in Bedfordshire during that time.
In the 14th century, the Chaffin surname appeared in various manorial records and court rolls, indicating that the family had established itself across different regions of England. For example, the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 list a John Chaffyn, while the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1334 mention a William Chaffyn.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Chaffin name became more widespread and can be found in various historical records, including parish registers and tax lists. One notable figure from this period was Robert Chaffin (1529-1608), a prominent English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Norfolk.
In the 18th century, the Chaffin family had established roots in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire. A notable individual from this time was John Chaffin (1675-1743), a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for Bridport, Dorset.
As the Chaffin family spread throughout the British Isles, variations in spelling continued to emerge, such as Chaffyn, Chaffing, and Chaffing. Additionally, some individuals with the surname Chaffin migrated to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, further contributing to the name's global distribution.
Overall, the Chaffin surname has a rich history deeply rooted in English agricultural traditions, with its earliest known origins dating back to the Middle Ages. The name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergymen, landowners, and members of parliament, showcasing its enduring presence throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chaffin
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaffin, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Chaffin 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 Chaffin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.2% · 7,887
- Black or African American5.1% · 469
- Two or more races4.1% · 377
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 287
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 70
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 63
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chaffin
Chaffin 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
#3,629
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,782
+277 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 3.32
Rank movement Down 188 places
2020
#3,784
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,153
-629 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 3.06
Rank movement Down 155 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,441 | 9,505 | 3.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,629 | 9,782 | 3.32 | +277 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 188 places |
| 2020 | #3,784 | 9,153 | 3.06 | -629 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 155 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 Chaffin 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 | #3,629 | #3,784 | -4.3% |
| Count | 9,782 | 9,153 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.32 | 3.06 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chaffin bearers went from 9,782 to 9,153 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 155 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,629 to #3,784.
FAQ
Chaffin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chaffin?
Name Census estimates that about 10,496 living Americans carry the surname Chaffin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,656 residents.
How common is Chaffin?
Chaffin ranks #3,784 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,153 people with the surname Chaffin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,496), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Chaffin.
Has Chaffin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chaffin went from 9,782 recorded bearers to 9,153. That is a decrease of 629 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,629 to #3,784.
What does the Census say about the background of Chaffin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaffin, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Chaffin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.2% (7,887 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chaffin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.2%), Black (5.1%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Chaffin (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 Chaffin mean?
An English occupational surname derived from the Old French word "chaufin," meaning a bald or balding man. 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 Chaffin (3.06 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 Chaffin?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Chaffin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.