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

Chance, 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 Chance surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chance in America

Chance is the 2540th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chance surname appeared 14,256 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Chance.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chance 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 Chance

The surname Chance originated in England and is a locational name derived from the Old French word 'chance', meaning happy or fortunate. It is believed to have first emerged in the medieval period, referring to someone who lived near a happy or fortunate place.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a William de la Chaunce. The Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301 also reference a John de Chauns. These early spellings demonstrate the evolution of the name from its Old French roots.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms, such as Chaunce and Chauns, in records from counties like Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327 list a John Chaunce, while the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1334 record a Thomas Chaunce.

The surname Chance may have also derived from place names like Chance Wood in Shropshire or Chance Street in Tring, Hertfordshire. These locations likely took their names from the Old French word, indicating areas that were considered fortunate or desirable.

Notable historical figures with the surname Chance include:

1. Sir John Chance (c. 1520-1599), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1585.
2. John Chance (1718-1784), an English minister and dissenting tutor who founded the Prospect Academy in Coventry.
3. Henry Chance (1786-1865), an English glassmaker and entrepreneur who co-founded the glassmaking company Chance Brothers.
4. Michael Chance (born 1955), an English countertenor and opera singer known for his performances of Baroque and contemporary works.
5. Brittany Chance (born 1986), an American professional wrestler and former WWE Diva.

The surname Chance has a rich history, originating from the Old French word denoting fortune and evolving over centuries to become a well-established English surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chance

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

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

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

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