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

Chancey, 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 Chancey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chancey in America

Chancey is the 8055th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chancey surname appeared 4,111 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 Chancey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chancey 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 Chancey

The surname Chancey is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "chance" or "chaunce," which means "luck" or "fortune." This surname first emerged in the 12th century in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Brittany.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Chancey surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire, England, dating back to 1195, where a person named William Chancey is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already spread to England by the late 12th century, likely due to the Norman Conquest of 1066.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various medieval records and manuscripts, such as the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire (1279), where a certain Robert Chauncey is listed. The spelling variations during this period included Chauncey, Chaunci, and Chauncy.

The Chancey surname is also associated with several notable historical figures. One of the most prominent was Sir Henry Chauncy (1632-1719), an English historian and antiquarian who authored the influential work "The Historical Antiquities of Hertfordshire" in 1700.

Another notable bearer of the Chancey surname was Charles Chauncy (1592-1672), an English clergyman who became the second president of Harvard College in 1654. He played a significant role in the early development of higher education in the American colonies.

In the 16th century, the Chancey surname was linked to several place names in England, such as Chauncy End in Hertfordshire and Chauncy Manor in Bedfordshire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the Chancey surname who owned or resided in those areas.

Other notable individuals with the Chancey surname include Sir Henry Chauncy (1556-1615), an English lawyer and politician who served as a member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and Charles Chauncy (1705-1787), an American Congregational minister and educator who was a prominent figure in the Great Awakening religious movement.

The surname Chancey has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been associated with notable individuals across various fields, including history, education, religion, and politics. While its origins can be traced back to medieval France, the name has since spread and taken root in various parts of the world, particularly in England and the American colonies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chancey

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

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

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

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