2000
#1,151
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,928
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.35
Uncommon Last name
Chamberlain
An occupational surname referring to a servant who managed the private chambers of a nobleman or monarch.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 31,916 Americans carry the last name Chamberlain. That puts it at #1,243 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 10,739 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chamberlain 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 Chamberlain with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
32K
1 in 10,739
Census rank
#1,243
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
28K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 27,832 bearers of the surname Chamberlain in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1243rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chamberlain, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (5.5%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chamberlain
Among Census respondents with the surname Chamberlain, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (5.5%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Chamberlain 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 Chamberlain surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.7% · 23,571
- Black or African American5.5% · 1,540
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 1,262
- Two or more races3.8% · 1,052
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 206
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 201
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chamberlain
Chamberlain 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
#1,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,727
+799 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 9.74
Rank movement Down 80 places
2020
#1,243
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,832
-895 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 9.31
Rank movement Down 12 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,151 | 27,928 | 10.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,231 | 28,727 | 9.74 | +799 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 80 places |
| 2020 | #1,243 | 27,832 | 9.31 | -895 bearers (-3.1%) | Down 12 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 Chamberlain 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 | #1,231 | #1,243 | -1.0% |
| Count | 28,727 | 27,832 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 9.74 | 9.31 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chamberlain bearers went from 28,727 to 27,832 (-3.1% change). The surname moved down 12 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,231 to #1,243.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Chamberlain
FAQ
Chamberlain surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chamberlain?
Name Census estimates that about 31,916 living Americans carry the surname Chamberlain. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 10,739 residents.
How common is Chamberlain?
Chamberlain ranks #1,243 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.31 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 27,832 people with the surname Chamberlain. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (31,916), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.31 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Chamberlain.
Has Chamberlain become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chamberlain went from 28,727 recorded bearers to 27,832. That is a decrease of 895 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,231 to #1,243.
What does the Census say about the background of Chamberlain?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chamberlain, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (5.5%) and Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Chamberlain in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (23,571 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chamberlain appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.7%), Black (5.5%), Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Chamberlain (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 Chamberlain mean?
An occupational surname referring to a servant who managed the private chambers of a nobleman or monarch. 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 Chamberlain (9.31 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 Chamberlain?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.