2000
#11,012
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,649
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Chappel
An occupational surname referring to a clergyman or one who worked in a chapel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,631 Americans carry the last name Chappel. That puts it at #12,817 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,275 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chappel 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 Chappel with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 130,275
Census rank
#12,817
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,294 bearers of the surname Chappel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12817th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chappel, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.4%. The next largest groups are Black (25.6%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chappel
The surname Chappel has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "ciepel," which referred to a small chapel or a merchant's stall. This name was initially given to families who lived near a chapel or were involved in the trade or commerce of goods at a stall or market.
Chappel is a locational surname, meaning it was often taken from the names of places where the original bearers resided. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents, such as the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Capella" and "atte Chapele."
The name Chappel has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing this surname was Sir William Chappel, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in the 13th century. Another notable figure was John Chappel, a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, in the 15th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Chappel family played a significant role in the English Civil War. Richard Chappel, born in 1592, was a prominent Parliamentarian who fought against the Royalist forces. His son, William Chappel (1618-1679), was a noted lawyer and member of the House of Commons.
In the literary world, Thomas Chappel (1756-1840) was a celebrated English poet and playwright. His works, such as "The Ode to Evening" and "The Siege of Malta," garnered critical acclaim during his lifetime.
Another notable figure with the surname Chappel was Sir Fulke Greville-Chappel (1836-1908), a British diplomat and politician who served as the Governor of New South Wales, Australia, from 1885 to 1892.
While the surname Chappel has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and other English-speaking countries, due to migration and immigration patterns. The name continues to be associated with its historical ties to religious and commercial activities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chappel
Among Census respondents with the surname Chappel, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.4%. The next largest groups are Black (25.6%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Chappel 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 Chappel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.4% · 1,478
- Black or African American25.6% · 588
- Two or more races5.1% · 117
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 79
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chappel
Chappel 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
#12,333
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,521
-128 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 1,321 places
2020
#12,817
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,294
-227 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 484 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,012 | 2,649 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,333 | 2,521 | 0.85 | -128 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 1,321 places |
| 2020 | #12,817 | 2,294 | 0.77 | -227 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 484 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 Chappel 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 | #12,333 | #12,817 | -3.9% |
| Count | 2,521 | 2,294 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.77 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chappel bearers went from 2,521 to 2,294 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 484 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,333 to #12,817.
FAQ
Chappel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chappel?
Name Census estimates that about 2,631 living Americans carry the surname Chappel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,275 residents.
How common is Chappel?
Chappel ranks #12,817 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,294 people with the surname Chappel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,631), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Chappel.
Has Chappel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chappel went from 2,521 recorded bearers to 2,294. That is a decrease of 227 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,333 to #12,817.
What does the Census say about the background of Chappel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chappel, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.4%. The next largest groups are Black (25.6%) and Two or More Races (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 Chappel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.4% (1,478 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chappel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.4%), Black (25.6%), Two or More Races (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 Chappel (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 Chappel mean?
An occupational surname referring to a clergyman or one who worked in a chapel. 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 Chappel (0.77 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 Chappel?
If you just want to know how common the surname Chappel is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.