2000
#5,454
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,868
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.18
Rare Last name
Chambliss
Derived from a French place name meaning "a greensward or pasture land," likely referring to someone who lived nearby.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,831 Americans carry the last name Chambliss. That puts it at #5,623 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 50,176 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chambliss 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
6.8K
1 in 50,176
Census rank
#5,623
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,957 bearers of the surname Chambliss in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5623rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chambliss, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.6%. The next largest groups are Black (45.3%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chambliss
The surname Chambliss originated in England and can be traced back to the early 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cham" meaning valley or basin, and "blis" meaning bliss or joy, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived in a pleasant valley.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a William de Chaumblis is mentioned as holding lands in Bedfordshire. This spelling variation demonstrates the name's evolution over time.
By the 14th century, the name had taken on spellings closer to its modern form, such as Chamblis and Chamelys, as evidenced in various medieval records and tax rolls. It is possible that the name was also influenced by the French word "chamblis," meaning a small room or chamber.
The Chambliss surname is also associated with several place names in England, including Chambliss Hill in Buckinghamshire and Chambliss Farm in Wiltshire. These locations may have been named after early bearers of the surname or vice versa.
One notable figure with the Chambliss name was Sir Thomas Chambliss, a 16th-century English merchant and explorer who was involved in the early colonization efforts in North America. He was born around 1545 and is recorded as having established a trading post in what is now Virginia in the late 1500s.
Another historical figure was John Chambliss, a 17th-century English clergyman and scholar who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds. He was born in 1620 and is known for his writings on theology and philosophy.
In the 18th century, there was William Chambliss, a notable British architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London and other parts of England. He was born in 1735 and is recognized for his contributions to the Georgian architectural style.
Moving into the 19th century, one cannot overlook the work of Mary Chambliss, a pioneering English educator and advocate for women's rights. Born in 1815, she established one of the first schools for girls in London and campaigned tirelessly for equal educational opportunities for women.
Lastly, in the early 20th century, there was Sir Edward Chambliss, a British military officer and politician who served in both World Wars and later became a member of parliament. He was born in 1885 and played a significant role in shaping the post-war policies of the United Kingdom.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chambliss
Among Census respondents with the surname Chambliss, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.6%. The next largest groups are Black (45.3%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Chambliss 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 Chambliss surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White46.6% · 2,778
- Black or African American45.3% · 2,701
- Two or more races4.6% · 272
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 155
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chambliss
Chambliss 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
#5,543
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,268
+400 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 2.12
Rank movement Down 89 places
2020
#5,623
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,957
-311 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 1.99
Rank movement Down 80 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,454 | 5,868 | 2.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,543 | 6,268 | 2.12 | +400 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 89 places |
| 2020 | #5,623 | 5,957 | 1.99 | -311 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 80 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 Chambliss 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 | #5,543 | #5,623 | -1.4% |
| Count | 6,268 | 5,957 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.12 | 1.99 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chambliss bearers went from 6,268 to 5,957 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 80 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,543 to #5,623.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Chambliss
FAQ
Chambliss surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chambliss?
Name Census estimates that about 6,831 living Americans carry the surname Chambliss. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 50,176 residents.
How common is Chambliss?
Chambliss ranks #5,623 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.99 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 5,957 people with the surname Chambliss. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,831), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.99 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 Chambliss.
Has Chambliss become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chambliss went from 6,268 recorded bearers to 5,957. That is a decrease of 311 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,543 to #5,623.
What does the Census say about the background of Chambliss?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chambliss, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.6%. The next largest groups are Black (45.3%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Chambliss in the 2020 Census, accounting for 46.6% (2,778 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chambliss appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (46.6%), Black (45.3%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Chambliss (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 Chambliss mean?
Derived from a French place name meaning "a greensward or pasture land," likely referring to someone who lived nearby. 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 Chambliss (1.99 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 Americans have the surname Chambliss?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.