Find out how popular the last name Chagnon is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Chagnon.

Chagnon, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Chagnon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chagnon in America

Chagnon is the 15166th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chagnon surname appeared 1,943 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Chagnon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chagnon to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Chagnon

The surname CHAGNON originated in France, with its earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "chagne," which referred to a kind of oak tree. This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near or worked with oak trees.

One of the earliest documented instances of the CHAGNON surname can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Savigny, a medieval cartulary from the late 12th century. This manuscript contains records of individuals bearing the name, solidifying its presence in the region at that time.

The CHAGNON name has also been linked to various place names in France, such as Chagny, a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department. It is possible that the surname originated from these locations or was influenced by them.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Jacques CHAGNON (born around 1510) was recorded as a merchant and burgher of Paris. His name appears in various historical documents from that period, providing evidence of the surname's continuation through the centuries.

Another prominent individual with the CHAGNON surname was Pierre CHAGNON (1647-1718), a French architect and engineer who worked on several notable projects in Paris, including the reconstruction of the Pont au Change bridge after its collapse in 1718.

During the 18th century, the CHAGNON name gained further recognition with the birth of Jean-Baptiste CHAGNON (1725-1795), a French sculptor and engraver who created works for the Palace of Versailles and other notable commissions.

In the 19th century, Louis CHAGNON (1825-1897), a French painter and lithographer, gained recognition for his landscapes and scenes depicting rural life in France.

Moving into the 20th century, a notable figure with the CHAGNON surname was Maurice CHAGNON (1925-2019), a French-Canadian anthropologist renowned for his extensive fieldwork and research among the Yanomamö people in Venezuela and Brazil.

The CHAGNON surname has a rich history rooted in France, with its origins dating back to the 12th century. Over the centuries, individuals bearing this name have left their mark across various fields, from architecture and art to anthropology and commerce.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chagnon

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Chagnon.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Chagnon was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Chagnon has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Chagnon was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Chagnon, please contact us.

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