2000
#69,428
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 264
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Charman
A variant of the English occupational surname 'Charman', referring to one who worked as a charcoal burner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 259 Americans carry the last name Charman. That puts it at #88,273 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,323,376 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Charman 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 Charman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
259
1 in 1,323,376
Census rank
#88,273
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
226
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 226 bearers of the surname Charman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 88273rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Charman, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Black (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Charman
The surname Charman has its origins in England, dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cerre," meaning to turn or bend, and "mann," meaning a man or person. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to an occupation such as a turner or cartwright.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Carueman." This entry, from the county of Shropshire, provides evidence that the name was present in England during the Norman Conquest.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records with different spellings, including "Chareman," "Charemannus," and "Charreman." These variations likely reflected regional dialects and the evolution of the English language over time.
The surname Charman is also closely linked to several place names in England, such as Charmanstre in Dorset and Charmansleigh in Devon. These locations may have been named after individuals bearing the surname or vice versa.
One notable historical figure with the surname Charman was John Charman, born in 1568 in London. He was a prominent merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Skinners, serving as its Master in 1619.
In the 17th century, William Charman (1628-1692) was a respected clergyman and author. He served as the rector of Meonstoke in Hampshire and published several religious works, including "The Resurrection Rescued from the Soldiers' Calumnies" in 1675.
The 18th century saw the rise of Richard Charman (1732-1811), a renowned English architect. He designed several notable buildings, including the Bargate Monument in Southampton and the Customs House in Poole, Dorset.
In the field of literature, Charles Charman (1828-1891) was a notable English poet and playwright. His works included "The Heart of Love" and "The Sacrifice," both published in the mid-19th century.
Another distinguished individual with the Charman surname was Sir John Charman (1884-1967), a British army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross for his bravery during World War I. He was born in Edenbridge, Kent, and served in the Royal Army Service Corps.
While the Charman surname may have originated from a humble occupation, it has been borne by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, leaving a lasting impact in fields such as commerce, religion, architecture, literature, and military service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Charman
Among Census respondents with the surname Charman, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Black (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Charman 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 Charman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.8% · 169
- Hispanic or Latino7.5% · 17
- Black or African American7.1% · 16
- Two or more races5.8% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Charman
Charman 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
#80,131
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 237
-27 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 10,703 places
2020
#88,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 226
-11 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 8,142 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #69,428 | 264 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #80,131 | 237 | 0.08 | -27 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 10,703 places |
| 2020 | #88,273 | 226 | 0.08 | -11 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 8,142 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 Charman 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 | #80,131 | #88,273 | -10.2% |
| Count | 237 | 226 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.08 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Charman bearers went from 237 to 226 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 8,142 positions in the national ranking, going from #80,131 to #88,273.
FAQ
Charman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Charman?
Name Census estimates that about 259 living Americans carry the surname Charman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,323,376 residents.
How common is Charman?
Charman ranks #88,273 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 226 people with the surname Charman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (259), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Charman.
Has Charman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Charman went from 237 recorded bearers to 226. That is a decrease of 11 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #80,131 to #88,273.
What does the Census say about the background of Charman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Charman, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Black (7.1%). 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 Charman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.8% (169 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Charman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.8%), Hispanic (7.5%), Black (7.1%). 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 Charman (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 Charman mean?
A variant of the English occupational surname 'Charman', referring to one who worked as a charcoal burner. 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 Charman (0.08 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 Charman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.