2000
#5,496
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,817
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.16
Rare Last name
Chalmers
An occupational surname derived from the Old French word "chalmier," meaning a maker of chamois leather.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,891 Americans carry the last name Chalmers. That puts it at #5,585 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 49,739 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chalmers 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Chalmers with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.9K
1 in 49,739
Census rank
#5,585
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,009 bearers of the surname Chalmers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5585th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chalmers, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Black (24.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chalmers
The surname Chalmers originated from the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the regions of Renfrewshire and Ayrshire. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "chalmers," meaning "chambers" or "rooms." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with someone who lived near or worked in a set of chambers or rooms.
The earliest recorded use of the name Chalmers dates back to the 13th century. In 1296, a man named John de Chalmers swore fealty to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence. This entry appears in the Ragman Rolls, a historical record of Scottish landowners and nobles who submitted to English rule during that period.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records and charters, such as the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland. One notable mention is of a William de Chalmers, who is recorded as holding lands in the parish of Monifieth, Angus, in 1366.
The surname Chalmers has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most famous was Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847), a Scottish mathematician, philosopher, and Church of Scotland minister. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of modern economics and was a prominent figure in the Scottish Enlightenment.
Another notable bearer of the name was Sir David Chalmers (1530-1592), a Scottish judge and Lord Advocate of Scotland during the reign of King James VI. He played a significant role in the prosecution of the Earl of Bothwell for the murder of Lord Darnley, the husband of Mary, Queen of Scots.
In the literary world, George Chalmers (1742-1825) was a Scottish antiquarian and writer. He is best known for his works on Scottish history and poetry, including "Caledonia" and "The Poetic Remains of Some of the Scottish Kings."
During the American Revolutionary War, James Chalmers (1742-1828) was a Scottish-born loyalist who served as a British army officer. He is remembered for his involvement in the Battle of King's Mountain, where he was captured by American forces.
In the realm of science, Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847), mentioned earlier, made significant contributions to the field of natural theology and was a proponent of the idea that scientific discoveries strengthened belief in God's existence.
The surname Chalmers has a rich history rooted in the Scottish Lowlands, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. Over the centuries, it has been associated with notable figures in various fields, including law, literature, military, and science. The name's origins and its connections to Scottish history and culture continue to be studied and celebrated by historians and genealogists alike.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chalmers
Among Census respondents with the surname Chalmers, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Black (24.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Chalmers 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 Chalmers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.3% · 3,984
- Black or African American24.9% · 1,496
- Two or more races3.9% · 235
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 209
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 49
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 36
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chalmers
Chalmers 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
#5,637
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,166
+349 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 2.09
Rank movement Down 141 places
2020
#5,585
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,009
-157 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 2.01
Rank movement Up 52 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,496 | 5,817 | 2.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,637 | 6,166 | 2.09 | +349 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 141 places |
| 2020 | #5,585 | 6,009 | 2.01 | -157 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 52 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 Chalmers 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 | #5,637 | #5,585 | 0.9% |
| Count | 6,166 | 6,009 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.09 | 2.01 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chalmers bearers went from 6,166 to 6,009 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 52 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,637 to #5,585.
FAQ
Chalmers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chalmers?
Name Census estimates that about 6,891 living Americans carry the surname Chalmers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 49,739 residents.
How common is Chalmers?
Chalmers ranks #5,585 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,009 people with the surname Chalmers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,891), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Chalmers.
Has Chalmers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chalmers went from 6,166 recorded bearers to 6,009. That is a decrease of 157 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,637 to #5,585.
What does the Census say about the background of Chalmers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chalmers, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Black (24.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Chalmers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.3% (3,984 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chalmers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.3%), Black (24.9%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Chalmers (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 Chalmers mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Old French word "chalmier," meaning a maker of chamois leather. 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 Chalmers (2.01 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 have the last name Chalmers?
You can see how many people have the surname Chalmers on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.