2000
#606
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 50,777
First available Census row
Per 100,000 18.82
Uncommon Last name
Chase
An occupational surname referring to a skilled huntsman or one who assisted in the hunt.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 56,801 Americans carry the last name Chase. That puts it at #669 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 16.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 6,034 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chase 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 Chase with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
57K
1 in 6,034
Census rank
#669
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
16.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
50K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 49,533 bearers of the surname Chase in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 16.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 669th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chase, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Black (10.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chase
The surname CHASE originated in England, emerging during the late 11th century in the aftermath of the Norman Conquest. It is derived from the Old French word "chasser," meaning "to hunt" or "to chase." This occupational surname was likely bestowed upon individuals who worked as hunters or gamekeepers in medieval English society.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the CHASE surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is mentioned in connection with various manors and villages across various counties, including Hampshire, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire.
During the 13th century, the surname appeared in various historical records and documents, often associated with landowners and individuals of notable status. One such example is Sir Thomas Chase, a renowned knight who fought alongside King Edward III in the Battle of Crecy during the Hundred Years' War (1346-1353).
The CHASE surname also has connections to place names, as evidenced by the existence of Chase Wood in Worcestershire and Chase Town in Somerset. These locations likely derived their names from individuals bearing the CHASE surname who once owned or resided in those areas.
In the 16th century, the CHASE surname gained further prominence with the birth of Aquila Chase (1566-1647), an English clergyman and academic who served as the vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1638 to 1644.
Another notable individual with the CHASE surname was Samuel Chase (1741-1811), a prominent American jurist and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He played a crucial role in the early judicial system of the United States, serving as a Supreme Court Justice from 1796 until his death.
The CHASE surname has also produced several distinguished literary figures, including Mary Ellen Chase (1887-1973), an American novelist and essayist known for her works set in rural Maine, and Ilka Chase (1900-1978), a renowned American actress, novelist, and biographer.
Throughout its history, the CHASE surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Chace, Chasse, and Chayse, reflecting the fluidity of orthography in earlier centuries. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent, reflecting the enduring legacy of those who once pursued the hunt in medieval England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chase
Among Census respondents with the surname Chase, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Black (10.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Chase 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 Chase surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.1% · 39,201
- Black or African American10.9% · 5,420
- Two or more races4.2% · 2,081
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 1,758
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 655
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 418
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chase
Chase 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
#649
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 52,481
+1,704 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 17.79
Rank movement Down 43 places
2020
#669
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 49,533
-2,948 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 16.57
Rank movement Down 20 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #606 | 50,777 | 18.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #649 | 52,481 | 17.79 | +1,704 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 43 places |
| 2020 | #669 | 49,533 | 16.57 | -2,948 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 20 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 Chase 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 | #649 | #669 | -3.1% |
| Count | 52,481 | 49,533 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 17.79 | 16.57 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chase bearers went from 52,481 to 49,533 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 20 positions in the national ranking, going from #649 to #669.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Chase
FAQ
Chase surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chase?
Name Census estimates that about 56,801 living Americans carry the surname Chase. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 6,034 residents.
How common is Chase?
Chase ranks #669 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 16.57 per 100,000 residents, which is about 17 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 49,533 people with the surname Chase. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (56,801), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 16.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 16.57 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 17 of them to have the surname Chase.
Has Chase become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chase went from 52,481 recorded bearers to 49,533. That is a decrease of 2,948 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #649 to #669.
What does the Census say about the background of Chase?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chase, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Black (10.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Chase in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.1% (39,201 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chase appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.1%), Black (10.9%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Chase (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 Chase mean?
An occupational surname referring to a skilled huntsman or one who assisted in the hunt. 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 Chase (16.57 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 surname Chase?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.