2000
#5,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,063
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.25
Rare Last name
Chaplin
An occupational surname referring to a clergyman or chaplain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,915 Americans carry the last name Chaplin. That puts it at #5,566 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 49,567 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chaplin 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Chaplin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.9K
1 in 49,567
Census rank
#5,566
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,030 bearers of the surname Chaplin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5566th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaplin, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.4%. The next largest groups are Black (19.7%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chaplin
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaplin, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.4%. The next largest groups are Black (19.7%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Chaplin 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 Chaplin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.4% · 4,308
- Black or African American19.7% · 1,186
- Two or more races4.4% · 268
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 209
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chaplin
Chaplin 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
#5,344
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,513
+450 bearers (+7.4%)
Per 100,000 2.21
Rank movement Down 62 places
2020
#5,566
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,030
-483 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 2.02
Rank movement Down 222 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,282 | 6,063 | 2.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,344 | 6,513 | 2.21 | +450 bearers (+7.4%) | Down 62 places |
| 2020 | #5,566 | 6,030 | 2.02 | -483 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 222 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 Chaplin 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 | #5,344 | #5,566 | -4.2% |
| Count | 6,513 | 6,030 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.21 | 2.02 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chaplin bearers went from 6,513 to 6,030 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 222 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,344 to #5,566.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Chaplin
FAQ
Chaplin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chaplin?
Name Census estimates that about 6,915 living Americans carry the surname Chaplin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 49,567 residents.
How common is Chaplin?
Chaplin ranks #5,566 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.02 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,030 people with the surname Chaplin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,915), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.02 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Chaplin.
Has Chaplin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chaplin went from 6,513 recorded bearers to 6,030. That is a decrease of 483 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,344 to #5,566.
What does the Census say about the background of Chaplin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaplin, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.4%. The next largest groups are Black (19.7%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Chaplin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.4% (4,308 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chaplin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.4%), Black (19.7%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Chaplin (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 Chaplin mean?
An occupational surname referring to a clergyman or 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 Chaplin (2.02 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 have the last name Chaplin?
You can see how many people are called Chaplin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.