2000
#60,390
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 312
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Chamoun
A surname suggesting origins in the Lebanese region, potentially related to the Arabic word for "eighth".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 632 Americans carry the last name Chamoun. That puts it at #42,381 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 542,333 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chamoun 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
632
1 in 542,333
Census rank
#42,381
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
551
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 551 bearers of the surname Chamoun in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 42381st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chamoun, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chamoun
The surname Chamoun is of Lebanese origin, with its roots traced back to the early 19th century. It is believed to be derived from the Arabic word "chamun," which means "the one who is steadfast" or "the one who perseveres."
The name is closely associated with the Chamoun family, a prominent political dynasty in Lebanon. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the historical records of Mount Lebanon, a region that was once an autonomous province within the Ottoman Empire.
In the late 19th century, the Chamoun family gained prominence in the region, with several members holding influential positions within the local administration. Notably, Camille Chamoun, born in 1900, served as the first President of Lebanon after the country gained independence from France in 1943. He held office until 1958 and played a pivotal role in shaping the nation's early years.
Another notable figure bearing the Chamoun surname was Dany Chamoun, a Lebanese businessman and politician who served as the leader of the National Liberal Party from 1986 to 2016. His father, Camille Chamoun Jr., was also a prominent figure in Lebanese politics and served as a member of parliament.
The Chamoun family's influence extended beyond politics, with members contributing to various fields, including literature and academia. One such individual was May Chamoun, a renowned Lebanese writer and poet who was born in 1923 and passed away in 2013. Her works explored themes of love, identity, and the human condition.
In the annals of Lebanese history, the name Chamoun also appears in records related to the civil war that plagued the country from 1975 to 1990. During this tumultuous period, Dany Chamoun played a significant role as a leader of the National Liberal Party, which aligned with the Christian-majority Lebanese Front.
While the Chamoun surname is predominantly associated with Lebanon, it has also been documented in other parts of the Middle East, with variations in spelling and pronunciation. However, the origins and historical significance of the name remain deeply rooted in Lebanese culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chamoun
Among Census respondents with the surname Chamoun, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Chamoun 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 Chamoun surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 504
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 32
- Two or more races1.1% · 6
- Black or African American0.9% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chamoun
Chamoun 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
#43,885
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 491
+179 bearers (+57.4%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 16,505 places
2020
#42,381
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 551
+60 bearers (+12.2%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Up 1,504 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #60,390 | 312 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #43,885 | 491 | 0.17 | +179 bearers (+57.4%) | Up 16,505 places |
| 2020 | #42,381 | 551 | 0.18 | +60 bearers (+12.2%) | Up 1,504 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 Chamoun 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 | #43,885 | #42,381 | 3.4% |
| Count | 491 | 551 | 12.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.17 | 0.18 | 8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chamoun bearers went from 491 to 551 (+12.2% change). The surname moved up 1,504 positions in the national ranking, going from #43,885 to #42,381.
FAQ
Chamoun surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chamoun?
Name Census estimates that about 632 living Americans carry the surname Chamoun. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 542,333 residents.
How common is Chamoun?
Chamoun ranks #42,381 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 551 people with the surname Chamoun. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (632), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Chamoun.
Has Chamoun become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chamoun went from 491 recorded bearers to 551. That is an increase of 60 (+12.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #43,885 to #42,381.
What does the Census say about the background of Chamoun?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chamoun, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (1.1%). 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 Chamoun in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (504 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chamoun appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (5.8%), Two or More Races (1.1%). 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 Chamoun (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 Chamoun mean?
A surname suggesting origins in the Lebanese region, potentially related to the Arabic word for "eighth". 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 Chamoun (0.18 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 have the last name Chamoun?
Want to know how common the surname Chamoun is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.