2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Chakerian
An Armenian surname likely derived from the name of an ancestral village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Chakerian. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chakerian 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Chakerian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chakerian, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.7%) and Two or More Races (7.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chakerian
The surname Chakerian originates from Armenia, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Armenian word "chakar," meaning "stone" or "rock," suggesting that the name may have been associated with individuals who worked with stone or lived in rocky areas.
The earliest recorded instances of the Chakerian surname can be found in Armenian manuscripts and church records from the medieval period. These documents often referred to individuals by their occupation or place of origin, making it likely that the name Chakerian was initially used to identify someone from a specific region or village.
One notable historical figure bearing the Chakerian surname was Hrachya Chakerian (1857-1920), an Armenian writer and educator who played a significant role in the development of Armenian literature and education during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Another prominent individual was Vahan Chakerian (1902-1974), an Armenian-American artist and sculptor known for his abstract and modernist works. His sculptures can be found in various museums and public spaces across the United States.
In the 16th century, there are records of a Chakerian family residing in the village of Mughni, located in the historical province of Artsakh (now part of Nagorno-Karabakh). This family was known for their expertise in stone masonry and contributed to the construction of several churches and fortifications in the region.
During the Ottoman Empire's rule over Armenian territories, the Chakerian surname can be found in tax records and population registers, indicating the presence of families with this name in various parts of present-day Turkey, Lebanon, and Syria.
Another notable figure was Harutyun Chakerian (1876-1951), an Armenian writer and teacher who authored several textbooks and literary works aimed at preserving and promoting the Armenian language and culture. He spent a significant part of his life in exile due to the Armenian Genocide.
Throughout history, the Chakerian surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including artists, writers, educators, and tradespeople. While the name's origins can be traced back to medieval Armenia, it has since spread across various regions and continents, reflecting the Armenian diaspora's global presence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chakerian
Among Census respondents with the surname Chakerian, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.7%) and Two or More Races (7.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Chakerian 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 Chakerian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.7% · 85
- Hispanic or Latino8.7% · 9
- Two or more races7.7% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chakerian
Chakerian 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+6 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,382 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-9 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 7,389 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 3,382 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -9 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 7,389 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 Chakerian 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 | #146,201 | #153,590 | -5.1% |
| Count | 113 | 104 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chakerian bearers went from 113 to 104 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 7,389 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #153,590.
FAQ
Chakerian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chakerian?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Chakerian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Chakerian?
Chakerian ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Chakerian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Chakerian.
Has Chakerian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chakerian went from 113 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 9 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Chakerian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chakerian, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.7%) and Two or More Races (7.7%). 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 Chakerian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.7% (85 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chakerian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.7%), Hispanic (8.7%), Two or More Races (7.7%). 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 Chakerian (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 Chakerian mean?
An Armenian surname likely derived from the name of an ancestral village. 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 Chakerian (0.03 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 share the surname Chakerian?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.