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

Chaplin, 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 Chaplin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chaplin in America

Chaplin is the 5344th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chaplin surname appeared 6,513 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Chaplin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chaplin 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 Chaplin

The surname Chaplin is of English origin and dates back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "chapelain," meaning "chaplain" or a clergyman who conducted religious services in a private chapel. The name is occupational in nature, referring to individuals who served as chaplains or clergymen.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Chaplin can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire in 1273, where it appears as "Adam le Chapeleyn." This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the 13th century. Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form, Chaplin.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379, where it is listed as "Robert Chapelyn." The surname is also mentioned in the Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem for Essex in 1392, referring to "John Chapelyn."

One of the earliest notable individuals bearing the surname Chaplin was William Chaplin (c. 1550-1624), an English clergyman who served as the Provost of Trinity College, Dublin, from 1610 until his death in 1624.

Another prominent figure was Hugh Chaplin (1592-1653), an English clergyman and religious writer who authored several works, including "The Use of Holy Scripture" and "The Life of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

In the 18th century, John Chaplin (1726-1795) was a renowned English engraver and portrait painter who worked for the Royal Family and was appointed Engraver to the Prince of Wales.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Chaplin was Sir Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977), the iconic English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame during the silent film era. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of the film industry.

Another notable individual was Ralph Chaplin (1887-1961), an American writer, social activist, and labor organizer who is best known for his iconic poem "Solidarity Forever," which became an anthem for the labor movement.

The surname Chaplin has been widely distributed across various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Essex, and London, where it has a long and rich history dating back to the medieval period.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chaplin

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

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

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

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