2000
#16,092
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,654
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.61
Rare Last name
Chatmon
An English surname derived from the Norman French for "cat" and "man", denoting animal trappers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,102 Americans carry the last name Chatmon. That puts it at #15,406 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 163,061 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chatmon 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
2.1K
1 in 163,061
Census rank
#15,406
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,833 bearers of the surname Chatmon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15406th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chatmon, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.1%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chatmon
The surname Chatmon has its origins in the Middle English language, derived from the Old French word "chaton," which means "kitten." This name likely originated in Normandy, France, in the 11th or 12th century.
During the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, many Norman families migrated to Britain, bringing their surnames with them. It is possible that the Chatmon name was introduced to England during this period.
The earliest recorded use of the Chatmon surname can be traced back to the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were records of landholders in England. These rolls mention a Richard Chatmon from Lincolnshire.
In the 14th century, the Chatmon name appeared in various records in the counties of Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, and Norfolk. For instance, a John Chatmon was listed as a freeman in the town of York in 1379.
One notable individual with the Chatmon surname was Sir Thomas Chatmon, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 15th century. He was born in 1412 and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1470.
Another historical figure with this name was William Chatmon (1527-1591), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, from 1576 until his death.
In the 17th century, the Chatmon family had established themselves in the county of Gloucestershire. A Robert Chatmon (1624-1687) was a landowner and magistrate in the town of Tewkesbury during this period.
The Chatmon surname also has a Scottish variant, "Chatmun," which can be found in records from the 16th century onwards. One notable bearer of this variant was James Chatmun (1567-1628), a Scottish philosopher and educator who taught at the University of Edinburgh.
Another individual of note was Sir John Chatmon (1701-1774), a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the Seven Years' War and rose to the rank of Admiral of the White.
Throughout its history, the Chatmon surname has been associated with various professions, including merchants, clergymen, academics, landowners, and military officers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chatmon
Among Census respondents with the surname Chatmon, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.1%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Chatmon 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 Chatmon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American86.1% · 1,578
- White6.0% · 110
- Two or more races4.9% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chatmon
Chatmon 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
#15,669
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,863
+209 bearers (+12.6%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 423 places
2020
#15,406
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,833
-30 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 263 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,092 | 1,654 | 0.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,669 | 1,863 | 0.63 | +209 bearers (+12.6%) | Up 423 places |
| 2020 | #15,406 | 1,833 | 0.61 | -30 bearers (-1.6%) | Up 263 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 Chatmon 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 | #15,669 | #15,406 | 1.7% |
| Count | 1,863 | 1,833 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.61 | -2.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chatmon bearers went from 1,863 to 1,833 (-1.6% change). The surname moved up 263 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,669 to #15,406.
FAQ
Chatmon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chatmon?
Name Census estimates that about 2,102 living Americans carry the surname Chatmon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 163,061 residents.
How common is Chatmon?
Chatmon ranks #15,406 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 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 1,833 people with the surname Chatmon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,102), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 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 Chatmon.
Has Chatmon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chatmon went from 1,863 recorded bearers to 1,833. That is a decrease of 30 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,669 to #15,406.
What does the Census say about the background of Chatmon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chatmon, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.1%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Chatmon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (1,578 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chatmon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (86.1%), White (6.0%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Chatmon (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 Chatmon mean?
An English surname derived from the Norman French for "cat" and "man", denoting animal trappers. 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 Chatmon (0.61 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 Chatmon?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.