2000
#13,421
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,081
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Chamness
A habitual surname derived from the pre-7th century Old English word "cempa," meaning a warrior, professional soldier, or champion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,210 Americans carry the last name Chamness. That puts it at #14,783 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 155,092 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chamness 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
2.2K
1 in 155,092
Census rank
#14,783
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,927 bearers of the surname Chamness in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14783rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chamness, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chamness
Among Census respondents with the surname Chamness, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Chamness 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 Chamness surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 1,701
- Two or more races4.7% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 81
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 19
- Black or African American0.6% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chamness
Chamness 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
#14,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,114
+33 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 780 places
2020
#14,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,927
-187 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 582 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,421 | 2,081 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,201 | 2,114 | 0.72 | +33 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 780 places |
| 2020 | #14,783 | 1,927 | 0.64 | -187 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 582 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 Chamness 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 | #14,201 | #14,783 | -4.1% |
| Count | 2,114 | 1,927 | -8.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.64 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chamness bearers went from 2,114 to 1,927 (-8.8% change). The surname moved down 582 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,201 to #14,783.
FAQ
Chamness surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chamness?
Name Census estimates that about 2,210 living Americans carry the surname Chamness. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 155,092 residents.
How common is Chamness?
Chamness ranks #14,783 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,927 people with the surname Chamness. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,210), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Chamness.
Has Chamness become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chamness went from 2,114 recorded bearers to 1,927. That is a decrease of 187 (-8.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,201 to #14,783.
What does the Census say about the background of Chamness?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chamness, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Chamness in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (1,701 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chamness appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Chamness (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 Chamness mean?
A habitual surname derived from the pre-7th century Old English word "cempa," meaning a warrior, professional soldier, or champion. 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 Chamness (0.64 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 Chamness?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.