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

Chalfant, 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 Chalfant surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chalfant in America

Chalfant is the 13049th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chalfant surname appeared 2,353 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Chalfant.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chalfant 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 Chalfant

The surname Chalfant has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "cald" and "funt," which together mean "cold spring" or "cold well." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a cold water source or spring.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where it appears as "Kaldefunt." This indicates that the name was in use as early as the 14th century and that variations in spelling were common during that time.

The Chalfant surname is also associated with certain place names in England. For example, the village of Chalfont St. Giles in Buckinghamshire is believed to have been derived from the same root words as the surname, further reinforcing its connection to geographical features related to cold water sources.

Historically, the name Chalfant has been linked to several notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Chalfant, who was born around 1490 in Yorkshire, England. He was a prominent landowner and farmer during the Tudor period.

Another significant figure with the Chalfant surname was William Chalfant, who lived in the 17th century. He was a Quaker minister and writer, known for his religious works and his role in the early Quaker movement in England.

In the 18th century, James Chalfant (1724-1799) was a respected physician and surgeon who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He was born in Pennsylvania but traced his ancestry back to England.

Moving into the 19th century, Thomas Chalfant (1820-1892) was a prominent businessman and industrialist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was involved in the iron and steel industry and played a significant role in the city's economic development during the Industrial Revolution.

Another notable figure was Mary Chalfant (1864-1942), an American educator and social reformer. She was a pioneer in the field of vocational education and worked tirelessly to improve educational opportunities for women and underprivileged communities.

Throughout its history, the surname Chalfant has maintained a strong connection to its English roots, with many bearers of the name tracing their ancestry back to the medieval period and the geographical features that inspired its original meaning.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chalfant

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

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

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

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