2000
#14,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,926
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Chagnon
French occupational surname for a cartwright or wagon maker, derived from Old French "charegnon" meaning "cart" or "wagon."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,105 Americans carry the last name Chagnon. That puts it at #15,382 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 162,829 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chagnon 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
2.1K
1 in 162,829
Census rank
#15,382
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,836 bearers of the surname Chagnon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15382nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chagnon, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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 His name appears in various historical documents from that period, providing evidence of the surname's continuation through the centuries.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chagnon
Among Census respondents with the surname Chagnon, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Chagnon 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 Chagnon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 1,681
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 79
- Two or more races2.3% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 19
- Black or African American0.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chagnon
Chagnon 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
#15,166
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,943
+17 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 893 places
2020
#15,382
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,836
-107 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 216 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,273 | 1,926 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,166 | 1,943 | 0.66 | +17 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 893 places |
| 2020 | #15,382 | 1,836 | 0.61 | -107 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 216 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 Chagnon 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 | #15,166 | #15,382 | -1.4% |
| Count | 1,943 | 1,836 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.66 | 0.61 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chagnon bearers went from 1,943 to 1,836 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 216 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,166 to #15,382.
FAQ
Chagnon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chagnon?
Name Census estimates that about 2,105 living Americans carry the surname Chagnon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 162,829 residents.
How common is Chagnon?
Chagnon ranks #15,382 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 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 1,836 people with the surname Chagnon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,105), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 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 Chagnon.
Has Chagnon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chagnon went from 1,943 recorded bearers to 1,836. That is a decrease of 107 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,166 to #15,382.
What does the Census say about the background of Chagnon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chagnon, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Chagnon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (1,681 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chagnon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Chagnon (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 Chagnon mean?
French occupational surname for a cartwright or wagon maker, derived from Old French "charegnon" meaning "cart" or "wagon." 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 Chagnon (0.61 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 Americans have the surname Chagnon?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.