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

Chamberlain, 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 Chamberlain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chamberlain in America

Chamberlain is the 1231st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chamberlain surname appeared 28,727 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Chamberlain.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chamberlain 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 Chamberlain

The surname Chamberlain has its origins in early medieval England, with records dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French words "chambre" and "lain," meaning "chamber" and "servant" respectively. The name originally referred to a servant who attended the private chambers of a lord or nobleman.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Chamberlain can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholdings and tax assessments in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, including Camberlanus and Camberlayn.

In the 13th century, the Chamberlain family held lands and estates in various parts of England, particularly in Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Gloucestershire. Notable members of the family during this period include Sir Richard Chamberlain, who served as Lord Chief Justice of England in the late 13th century.

The surname Chamberlain has been associated with several prominent historical figures throughout the centuries. One of the most notable was John Chamberlain (1470-1543), an English clergyman and academic who served as Chancellor of the University of Oxford and as a diplomat for King Henry VIII.

Another notable figure was Joseph Chamberlain (1836-1914), a British statesman and politician who served as Secretary of State for the Colonies and played a significant role in the expansion of the British Empire. He was also a key figure in the formation of the modern Conservative Party.

Other notable individuals with the surname Chamberlain include Sir Neville Chamberlain (1869-1940), the British Prime Minister who famously pursued a policy of appeasement towards Nazi Germany in the lead-up to World War II, and Wilt Chamberlain (1936-1999), the legendary American basketball player and one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA.

The Chamberlain surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Chamberlain Court in Gloucestershire and Chamberlain's Farm in Oxfordshire, reflecting the family's historical landholdings and influence in these areas.

Overall, the surname Chamberlain has a rich history and has been borne by many notable figures throughout the centuries, reflecting its origins as a title associated with service to the nobility in medieval England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chamberlain

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

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

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

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