2000
#3,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,242
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.80
Uncommon Last name
Chapin
An occupational surname for a clergyman, derived from the Old French word "chapelain," meaning "chaplain."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,112 Americans carry the last name Chapin. That puts it at #3,587 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,845 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chapin 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
11K
1 in 30,845
Census rank
#3,587
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.7K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,690 bearers of the surname Chapin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3587th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chapin, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chapin
The surname Chapin originated in France, likely during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "chape," which referred to a cloak or cape worn by clergymen or noblemen. It is believed that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who wore a distinctive cloak or cape.
The earliest known record of the Chapin name dates back to the 12th century in Normandy, France. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Raoul Chapin, who was mentioned in a charter from 1195 in Normandy.
In the 13th century, the Chapin family gained prominence in the region of Champagne, France. Records from this time period show various spellings of the name, including Chapen, Chapyn, and Chappin.
During the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, several individuals with the Chapin surname accompanied William the Conqueror and settled in various parts of England. The Domesday Book, a great survey of England completed in 1086, contains references to individuals with the surname Chapin or similar spellings.
One notable bearer of the Chapin name was John Chapin (c. 1370-1443), a wealthy English merchant and alderman of London. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1439.
In the 16th century, the Chapin family had established itself in various parts of Europe. Robert Chapin (1503-1578) was a French Protestant reformer and theologian who played a significant role in the French Reformation.
As the Chapin family spread across Europe, different branches emerged, and the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Chaplin, Chaplyn, and Chappelon.
In the 17th century, members of the Chapin family migrated to the American colonies. Samuel Chapin (1598-1675) was one of the earliest settlers, arriving in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635. He became a prominent figure in the colony and served as a deacon in the church.
Another notable bearer of the Chapin name was Edward Chapin (1703-1775), a surveyor and mapmaker who helped establish the boundary lines between Massachusetts and Rhode Island in the mid-18th century.
The Chapin family continued to play significant roles in various fields throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. Some notable examples include Charles Edward Chapin (1856-1941), a prominent American public health pioneer, and Harry Chapin (1942-1981), a popular American singer-songwriter known for his humanitarian efforts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chapin
Among Census respondents with the surname Chapin, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Chapin 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 Chapin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 8,893
- Two or more races3.5% · 343
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 271
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 73
- Black or African American0.7% · 71
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chapin
Chapin 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
#3,510
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,175
-67 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 3.45
Rank movement Down 304 places
2020
#3,587
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,690
-485 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 3.24
Rank movement Down 77 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,206 | 10,242 | 3.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,510 | 10,175 | 3.45 | -67 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 304 places |
| 2020 | #3,587 | 9,690 | 3.24 | -485 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 77 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 Chapin 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 | #3,510 | #3,587 | -2.2% |
| Count | 10,175 | 9,690 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 3.45 | 3.24 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chapin bearers went from 10,175 to 9,690 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 77 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,510 to #3,587.
FAQ
Chapin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chapin?
Name Census estimates that about 11,112 living Americans carry the surname Chapin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 30,845 residents.
How common is Chapin?
Chapin ranks #3,587 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,690 people with the surname Chapin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Chapin.
Has Chapin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chapin went from 10,175 recorded bearers to 9,690. That is a decrease of 485 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,510 to #3,587.
What does the Census say about the background of Chapin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chapin, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Chapin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (8,893 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chapin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Chapin (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 Chapin mean?
An occupational surname for a clergyman, derived from the Old French word "chapelain," meaning "chaplain." 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 Chapin (3.24 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 are called Chapin?
Find out how many people have the surname Chapin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.