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

Chaj, 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 Chaj surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chaj in America

Chaj is the 54296th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chaj surname appeared 380 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 Chaj.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chaj 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 Chaj

The surname "CHAJ" is believed to have originated in Eastern Europe, specifically in the regions of modern-day Poland and Ukraine, during the late medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Slavic word "chaga," which referred to a type of birch fungus used for tinder or as a natural dye.

Some of the earliest records of the name "CHAJ" can be found in Polish and Ukrainian parish registers from the 16th and 17th centuries, often appearing in various spellings such as "Chay," "Choy," or "Choj." These variations likely stemmed from regional dialects and the phonetic transcription of the name by scribes.

One notable historical reference to the surname "CHAJ" comes from the Prussian village of Zempelburg (now Sępolno Krajeńskie, Poland), where a family by the name of Chaj is mentioned in a land deed from 1672. This document suggests that the Chaj family may have held property or resided in the area during that time.

Amongst the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "CHAJ" was Andrzej Chaj, a Polish nobleman who lived in the late 16th century and was known for his involvement in local politics and land disputes. Another early bearer of the name was Hryhoriy Chaj (1590-1655), a Ukrainian Cossack leader who played a significant role in the Khmelnytsky Uprising against Polish rule.

In the 18th century, the name "CHAJ" appeared in various Russian imperial records, indicating that some members of the family had migrated eastward. One such individual was Ivan Chaj (1723-1789), a Russian military officer who served in the imperial army during the reign of Catherine the Great.

As the centuries progressed, the "CHAJ" surname spread across Eastern and Central Europe, with bearers of the name appearing in various historical records and documents. Notable figures include:

1. Józef Chaj (1810-1887), a Polish painter and artist known for his landscapes and portraits.
2. Oleksandr Chaj (1867-1938), a Ukrainian writer and journalist who played a role in the cultural renaissance of the early 20th century.
3. Mikhail Chaj (1892-1937), a Soviet military commander who participated in the Russian Civil War and later fell victim to Joseph Stalin's purges.
4. Irena Chaj (1918-2008), a Polish resistance fighter during World War II and recipient of the Virtuti Militari, Poland's highest military decoration.
5. Bohdan Chaj (1923-2003), a Ukrainian-Canadian community leader and advocate for Ukrainian culture and independence.

While the surname "CHAJ" may have originated from humble beginnings, its bearers have left their mark on the cultural, political, and military histories of Eastern and Central Europe over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chaj

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

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

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

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