2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Chanson
A French surname meaning "song" or "little song."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Chanson. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chanson 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Chanson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chanson, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chanson
The surname CHANSON has its origins in France, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "chanson," which means "song" or "poem." The name likely referred to a person who composed or sang songs, perhaps a traveling minstrel or troubadour.
In the early days, the name was often spelled as "Chanson" or "Chansonnier," with the latter referring specifically to a composer of chansons. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval French manuscripts and documents, such as the Chansonnier de Troyes, a collection of lyric poetry from the late 13th century.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Guillaume Chanson, a French poet and composer who lived in the late 12th century. He was known for his courtly love songs and was associated with the literary circle of Marie de Champagne, the daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine.
In the 14th century, the name CHANSON appeared in the records of the Duchy of Burgundy, where it was associated with the village of Chanson, located in the present-day department of Côte-d'Or. The village likely took its name from the same root word as the surname, suggesting a connection between the place and the occupation of its inhabitants.
During the Renaissance period, the name gained prominence in the world of music and poetry. One notable figure was Pierre Chanson, a French lutenist and composer who lived in the late 16th century. He was a member of the royal court of King Henry IV and is remembered for his contributions to the development of the French lute repertoire.
In the 17th century, the name CHANSON was documented in the records of the French colony of Acadia, located in present-day Canada. One of the earliest settlers with this surname was Étienne Chanson, who arrived in Port-Royal (now Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia) in 1636 and helped establish the first permanent European settlement in the region.
Another notable bearer of the name was Jean-Baptiste Chanson, a French musician and composer who lived in the late 18th century. He was a prominent figure in the French Revolution and composed patriotic songs and hymns that were popular during that time.
As the name spread throughout France and beyond, it also evolved into various spellings and variations, such as Chanson, Chansson, Chansson, and Chanson. These variations can be found in historical records and genealogical documents from different regions and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chanson
Among Census respondents with the surname Chanson, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Chanson 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 Chanson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.7% · 83
- Hispanic or Latino10.2% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chanson
Chanson 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-6 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,695 places
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-10 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 4,737 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 15,695 places |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 4,737 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 Chanson 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 | #151,532 | #156,269 | -3.1% |
| Count | 108 | 98 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chanson bearers went from 108 to 98 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 4,737 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #156,269.
FAQ
Chanson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chanson?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Chanson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Chanson?
Chanson ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 98 people with the surname Chanson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Chanson.
Has Chanson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chanson went from 108 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 10 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Chanson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chanson, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%). 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 Chanson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (83 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chanson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.7%), Hispanic (10.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%). 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 Chanson (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 Chanson mean?
A French surname meaning "song" or "little song." 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 Chanson (0.03 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 Chanson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.