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

Chamness, 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 Chamness surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chamness in America

Chamness is the 14201st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chamness surname appeared 2,114 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Chamness.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chamness 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 Chamness

The surname Chamness is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "ceam" or "cam," meaning "comb" or "ridge," and "ness," meaning "headland" or "promontory." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a ridged or prominent landform.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chamness can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and wealth commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Chamness in the county of Lincolnshire.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records and manuscripts with slightly different spellings, such as "Chamnes" and "Chamneys." These variations were common during that time due to inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation.

Notable individuals with the surname Chamness throughout history include:

1. Sir John Chamness (c. 1450-1521), a prominent English landowner and knight who served in the Wars of the Roses.
2. William Chamness (c. 1580-1643), an English merchant and explorer who traveled to the Americas and established trade routes.
3. Elizabeth Chamness (1657-1718), a renowned English poet and playwright whose works were widely celebrated during the Restoration period.
4. Thomas Chamness (1726-1798), a British officer in the Royal Navy who served during the American Revolutionary War.
5. Richard Chamness (1812-1887), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio.

The surname Chamness has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout England, such as Chamness Hill in Gloucestershire and Chamness Village in Hertfordshire. These place names may have been derived from the surname or vice versa, reflecting the connection between the name and specific geographic features.

While the surname Chamness is not among the most common in England or other English-speaking countries, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals of note in various fields, from military service to literature and politics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chamness

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

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

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

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