2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Chalakee
An Indian surname possibly derived from a term meaning "skillful" or "clever".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Chalakee. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chalakee 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Chalakee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chalakee, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 60.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (14.3%) and White (13.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chalakee
The surname CHALAKEE has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically from the region of Punjab. The name is believed to have originated during the 16th century, derived from the Sanskrit word "chalaka," which means "active" or "swift." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person with an energetic or agile nature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name CHALAKEE can be found in the historical records of the Mughal Empire, where it was mentioned in connection with a prominent family of traders and merchants. The name appears in a manuscript dated 1587, which details the trade routes and commercial activities of the time.
In the 17th century, the CHALAKEE name gained prominence in the region of Punjab, where it was associated with several influential families involved in agriculture and land ownership. During this period, the spelling of the name varied slightly, with variations such as "Chalakhi" and "Chalakee" appearing in local records.
The 18th century saw the rise of a notable CHALAKEE family in the city of Lahore, which was then part of the Mughal Empire. This family was renowned for their expertise in textile production and their contributions to the local economy. One of the most prominent members of this family was Malik Chalakee, who lived between 1735 and 1812, and was widely respected for his business acumen and philanthropic endeavors.
As the CHALAKEE name spread across the Indian subcontinent, it was also adopted by several communities beyond its original region of origin. In the 19th century, the name gained recognition in the princely state of Hyderabad, where a prominent CHALAKEE family held influential positions in the local administration.
Another notable figure bearing the CHALAKEE surname was Sardar Gurmukh Singh Chalakee, a military leader and statesman who played a significant role in the Anglo-Sikh Wars of the mid-19th century. He was born in 1808 and served as a trusted advisor to the Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the ruler of the Sikh Empire.
Throughout the centuries, the CHALAKEE name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, and political figures. One such individual was Prem Chalakee, a celebrated poet and writer who lived from 1897 to 1972 and made significant contributions to Punjabi literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chalakee
Among Census respondents with the surname Chalakee, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 60.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (14.3%) and White (13.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Chalakee 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 Chalakee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native60.0% · 63
- Two or more races14.3% · 15
- White13.3% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino11.4% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chalakee
Chalakee appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,918 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 1,918 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 Chalakee 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 | #154,907 | #152,989 | 1.2% |
| Count | 105 | 105 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chalakee bearers went from 105 to 105 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 1,918 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #152,989.
FAQ
Chalakee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chalakee?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Chalakee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Chalakee?
Chalakee ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 105 people with the surname Chalakee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Chalakee.
Has Chalakee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chalakee went from 105 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Chalakee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chalakee, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 60.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (14.3%) and White (13.3%). 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?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Chalakee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.0% (63 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chalakee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (60.0%), Two or More Races (14.3%), White (13.3%). 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 Chalakee (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 Chalakee mean?
An Indian surname possibly derived from a term meaning "skillful" or "clever". 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 Chalakee (0.04 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 Chalakee?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.