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

Chaim, 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 Chaim surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chaim in America

Chaim is the 124548th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chaim surname appeared 138 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Chaim.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chaim 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 Chaim

The surname "Chaim" is of Hebrew origin and is derived from the biblical name "Chayim," meaning "life" or "alive." This name can be traced back to ancient Jewish communities in the Middle East and Europe.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "Chaim" appear in Jewish communities in Spain and Portugal during the Middle Ages. It is believed that some Jews adopted the name as a way to assert their cultural identity and religious beliefs in the face of persecution and forced conversions.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, many Jews fled the Iberian Peninsula during the Spanish Inquisition and settled in various parts of Europe, bringing the surname "Chaim" with them. The name became more widespread in countries such as France, Germany, Poland, and Russia.

One notable figure with the surname "Chaim" was Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac, also known as Rashi (1040-1105), a renowned biblical commentator and scholar from Troyes, France. His works had a profound impact on Jewish scholarship and religious studies.

In the 18th century, a prominent Jewish philosopher and theologian named Moses Mendelssohn (1729-1786) bore the surname "Chaim." He played a significant role in the Jewish Enlightenment movement and advocated for the integration of Jews into European society.

During the 19th century, the surname "Chaim" was prevalent among Jewish communities in Eastern Europe, particularly in Poland and Russia. One notable individual was Chaim Zhitlowsky (1865-1943), a Russian-Jewish philosopher and one of the founders of the Labor Zionist movement.

Another important figure was Chaim Weizmann (1874-1952), a chemist and prominent Zionist leader who later became the first President of Israel. He played a crucial role in the establishment of the Jewish state.

In the 20th century, the surname "Chaim" continued to be associated with Jewish communities around the world, particularly in Israel and the United States, where many Jews immigrated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chaim

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

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 Chaim 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 Chaim 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 Chaim was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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