2000
#14,680
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,857
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Chartrand
A French occupational surname referring to a cartwright or wagon maker, derived from the Old French "char".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,300 Americans carry the last name Chartrand. That puts it at #14,345 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 149,024 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chartrand 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.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 149,024
Census rank
#14,345
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,006 bearers of the surname Chartrand in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14345th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chartrand, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chartrand
The surname Chartrand is of French origin, stemming from the northern regions of France. It is believed to have originated during the late 11th century or early 12th century. The name is derived from the Old French words "char" and "trant," which together mean "one who pulls a cart or wagon."
This surname was likely initially given as an occupational name to individuals whose trade involved transporting goods or materials by cart or wagon. It later became a hereditary surname passed down through generations. The earliest known record of the name Chartrand appears in a census document from the village of Arleux, in the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France, dating back to 1196.
One notable early bearer of the name was Guillaume Chartrand, a merchant and landowner born in Arras, France, around 1250. He is mentioned in several historical documents related to trade and land disputes in the region during the late 13th century.
As the Chartrand family spread throughout France, variations in spelling emerged, including Chartran, Chartrande, and Chartrant. The name also made its way to other parts of Europe, particularly Belgium and the Netherlands, where similar spelling variations exist.
In the 16th century, a branch of the Chartrand family settled in the Normandy region of France. One prominent member was Jean Chartrand (1523-1597), a landowner and local official in the town of Rouen.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, several Chartrands immigrated to the French colonies in North America, particularly in what is now Quebec, Canada. One of the earliest recorded Chartrands in Canada was René Chartrand, who arrived in Quebec City in 1663 from the Normandy region of France.
Another notable bearer of the name was Jacques Chartrand (1701-1772), a farmer and militia captain in the Seigneury of Île d'Orléans near Quebec City. He played a role in the defense of the colony during the French and Indian War.
Throughout history, the Chartrand surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, merchants, farmers, soldiers, and public officials. While the name has maintained a strong presence in France and French-speaking regions of Canada, it has also spread to other parts of the world through immigration and family migrations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chartrand
Among Census respondents with the surname Chartrand, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Chartrand 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 Chartrand surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.4% · 1,773
- Two or more races4.8% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 86
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 14
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chartrand
Chartrand 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
#14,821
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,001
+144 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 141 places
2020
#14,345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,006
+5 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Up 476 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,680 | 1,857 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,821 | 2,001 | 0.68 | +144 bearers (+7.8%) | Down 141 places |
| 2020 | #14,345 | 2,006 | 0.67 | +5 bearers (+0.2%) | Up 476 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 Chartrand 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 | #14,821 | #14,345 | 3.2% |
| Count | 2,001 | 2,006 | 0.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.67 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chartrand bearers went from 2,001 to 2,006 (+0.2% change). The surname moved up 476 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,821 to #14,345.
FAQ
Chartrand surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chartrand?
Name Census estimates that about 2,300 living Americans carry the surname Chartrand. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 149,024 residents.
How common is Chartrand?
Chartrand ranks #14,345 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 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 2,006 people with the surname Chartrand. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,300), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 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 Chartrand.
Has Chartrand become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chartrand went from 2,001 recorded bearers to 2,006. That is an increase of 5 (+0.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,821 to #14,345.
What does the Census say about the background of Chartrand?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chartrand, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Chartrand in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (1,773 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chartrand appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.4%), Two or More Races (4.8%), Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Chartrand (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 Chartrand mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a cartwright or wagon maker, derived from the Old French "char". 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 Chartrand (0.67 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 Chartrand?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Chartrand on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.