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

Charney, 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 Charney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Charney in America

Charney is the 13893rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Charney surname appeared 2,173 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Charney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Charney 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 Charney

The surname Charney has its origins in the English county of Berkshire. It is derived from the Old English word "cærn," meaning a turn or a bend, and the word "ey," meaning an island or a meadow. This suggests that the name may have originated from a location near a bend in a river or a meadow with a winding stream.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Charney can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cereneye." This entry refers to a manor in Berkshire, indicating that the name was initially associated with a place rather than a person.

During the 12th century, the name evolved to "Chereneye" and "Cherneye," reflecting the changes in the English language over time. In the 13th century, the spelling "Charney" became more prevalent, and it has remained relatively consistent since then.

One notable bearer of the name Charney was Sir John de Charney (c. 1270-1349), a knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He played a crucial role in the Battle of Crécy in 1346, where the English forces achieved a decisive victory over the French.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Charney (c. 1410-1465), who served as a Member of Parliament for Berkshire during the reign of King Henry VI. He was also a renowned soldier and participated in the Wars of the Roses, fighting for the Yorkist cause.

In the 16th century, the name Charney was associated with a prominent family in Berkshire. John Charney (c. 1520-1590) was a wealthy landowner and benefactor who supported the establishment of a grammar school in the town of East Hendred.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Captain Robert Charney (c. 1610-1678) fought for the Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell. He was commended for his bravery and leadership during the Battle of Naseby in 1645.

In the 18th century, the name Charney gained recognition in the literary world with the poet and playwright Mary Charney (1733-1809). She was known for her satirical works and was a prominent figure in the literary circles of her time.

These examples illustrate the longstanding history of the surname Charney, which has been associated with notable individuals and events throughout the centuries, primarily in England and particularly in the county of Berkshire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Charney

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!