2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Chauncy
A surname possibly derived from the French place name Chauncy or the Latin Calentius meaning warmth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Chauncy. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chauncy 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Chauncy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chauncy, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chauncy
The surname Chauncy has its origins in medieval England, with records indicating it first emerged in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "chauncie," meaning "chance" or "luck," suggesting that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone considered fortunate or favored by fate.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1194, where a certain William Chauncy is mentioned. The surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, further solidifying its presence in the historical records of the time.
During the 13th century, the name Chauncy was closely associated with the village of Chauncy in Bedfordshire, which likely served as the primary source of the surname's geographical origin. It is believed that the family bearing this name may have held lands or estates in this area.
In the 14th century, the name gained prominence through Sir John Chauncy, a notable English knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. Sir John was present at the famous Battle of Crécy in 1346 and is recorded as having distinguished himself on the battlefield.
Another notable figure was Sir Henry Chauncy, who lived during the 16th century and served as a member of Parliament for Hertfordshire in 1553. He played a significant role in the political landscape of the time and was recognized for his contributions to the realm.
The Chauncy family continued to maintain a strong presence throughout the centuries, with several members holding positions of influence and status. One such individual was Charles Chauncy (1592-1672), a renowned Puritan clergyman and the second president of Harvard College in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
In the realm of literature, Reverend Charles Chauncy (1705-1787), a descendant of the aforementioned Charles Chauncy, made his mark as a prominent Congregational minister and author, publishing works on theology and religious philosophy.
The Chauncy surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Chauncy in Bedfordshire, Chauncy Hall in Hertfordshire, and Chauncy Park in Wiltshire, further cementing its historical significance and geographical ties.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chauncy
Among Census respondents with the surname Chauncy, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Chauncy 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 Chauncy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.7% · 111
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chauncy
Chauncy 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
#120,187
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 144
+35 bearers (+32.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 20,569 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-28 bearers (-19.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,841 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #120,187 | 144 | 0.05 | +35 bearers (+32.1%) | Up 20,569 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -28 bearers (-19.4%) | Down 24,841 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 Chauncy 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 | #120,187 | #145,028 | -20.7% |
| Count | 144 | 116 | -19.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -22.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chauncy bearers went from 144 to 116 (-19.4% change). The surname moved down 24,841 positions in the national ranking, going from #120,187 to #145,028.
FAQ
Chauncy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chauncy?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Chauncy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Chauncy?
Chauncy ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 116 people with the surname Chauncy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Chauncy.
Has Chauncy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chauncy went from 144 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 28 (-19.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #120,187 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Chauncy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chauncy, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Black (0.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Chauncy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chauncy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.7%), Two or More Races (1.7%), Black (0.9%). 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 Chauncy (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 Chauncy mean?
A surname possibly derived from the French place name Chauncy or the Latin Calentius meaning warmth. 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 Chauncy (0.04 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 common is the surname Chauncy?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Chauncy? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.