2000
#12,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,322
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Chalfant
An occupational surname for a merchant or trader dealing in livestock, from the Old French "chalfant" meaning "trafficker."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,488 Americans carry the last name Chalfant. That puts it at #13,411 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 137,763 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chalfant 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
2.5K
1 in 137,763
Census rank
#13,411
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,170 bearers of the surname Chalfant in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13411th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chalfant, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chalfant
Among Census respondents with the surname Chalfant, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Chalfant 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 Chalfant surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 1,985
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 78
- Two or more races3.5% · 76
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 18
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chalfant
Chalfant 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
#13,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,353
+31 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 767 places
2020
#13,411
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,170
-183 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 362 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,282 | 2,322 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,049 | 2,353 | 0.80 | +31 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 767 places |
| 2020 | #13,411 | 2,170 | 0.73 | -183 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 362 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 Chalfant 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 | #13,049 | #13,411 | -2.8% |
| Count | 2,353 | 2,170 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.73 | -9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chalfant bearers went from 2,353 to 2,170 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 362 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,049 to #13,411.
FAQ
Chalfant surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chalfant?
Name Census estimates that about 2,488 living Americans carry the surname Chalfant. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 137,763 residents.
How common is Chalfant?
Chalfant ranks #13,411 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,170 people with the surname Chalfant. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,488), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Chalfant.
Has Chalfant become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chalfant went from 2,353 recorded bearers to 2,170. That is a decrease of 183 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,049 to #13,411.
What does the Census say about the background of Chalfant?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chalfant, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Chalfant in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (1,985 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chalfant appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Chalfant (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 Chalfant mean?
An occupational surname for a merchant or trader dealing in livestock, from the Old French "chalfant" meaning "trafficker." 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 Chalfant (0.73 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 are called Chalfant?
You can see how many people are called Chalfant on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.