2000
#10,142
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,920
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.08
Rare Last name
Chavers
An English occupational surname for someone who specialized in making keys or worked as a locksmith.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,353 Americans carry the last name Chavers. That puts it at #10,476 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 102,223 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chavers 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
3.4K
1 in 102,223
Census rank
#10,476
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,924 bearers of the surname Chavers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10476th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chavers, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.4%. The next largest groups are Black (36.0%) and Two or More Races (6.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chavers
The surname Chavers is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the late 11th century. It is derived from the Old French word "chafer," which means "beetle" or "insect." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who had a particular association with beetles or insects.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chavers can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This historical document mentions a landowner named Radulfus Chaveris, residing in the county of Warwickshire.
During the 13th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Chavere, Chavyr, and Chaver, reflecting the inconsistencies in written records and the evolution of language at the time. The earliest known bearer of the name was Richard Chaver, born in 1238 in the village of Great Barrington, Gloucestershire.
In the 14th century, the Chavers family established itself in the county of Somerset, where they held considerable influence and land holdings. One notable member of the family was Sir John Chavers, born in 1352, who served as a knight and fought in the Hundred Years' War under King Edward III.
The name Chavers also has connections to various place names in England. For instance, the village of Chavers Ash in Worcestershire is believed to have derived its name from the Chavers family, who were once prominent landowners in the area.
Throughout history, several individuals with the surname Chavers have gained recognition in various fields. One such figure was William Chavers (1509-1578), a renowned architect who contributed to the design and construction of several notable buildings in London during the 16th century.
Another notable bearer of the name was Elizabeth Chavers (1671-1742), a prominent writer and poet known for her satirical works and her contributions to the literary circles of the early 18th century.
In the 19th century, Thomas Chavers (1819-1892) made his mark as a influential politician and served as a member of the British Parliament, representing the constituency of Bristol from 1857 to 1874.
The Chavers family also produced several notable military figures, including General James Chavers (1845-1921), who served with distinction in the British Army during the First World War and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery in combat.
Throughout its history, the surname Chavers has maintained a presence in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire, where it has deep roots and a rich legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chavers
Among Census respondents with the surname Chavers, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.4%. The next largest groups are Black (36.0%) and Two or More Races (6.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Chavers 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 Chavers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.4% · 1,533
- Black or African American36.0% · 1,054
- Two or more races6.0% · 176
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 124
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 30
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chavers
Chavers 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
#9,987
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,230
+310 bearers (+10.6%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Up 155 places
2020
#10,476
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,924
-306 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 489 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,142 | 2,920 | 1.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,987 | 3,230 | 1.09 | +310 bearers (+10.6%) | Up 155 places |
| 2020 | #10,476 | 2,924 | 0.98 | -306 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 489 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 Chavers 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 | #9,987 | #10,476 | -4.9% |
| Count | 3,230 | 2,924 | -9.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.09 | 0.98 | -10.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chavers bearers went from 3,230 to 2,924 (-9.5% change). The surname moved down 489 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,987 to #10,476.
FAQ
Chavers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chavers?
Name Census estimates that about 3,353 living Americans carry the surname Chavers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 102,223 residents.
How common is Chavers?
Chavers ranks #10,476 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.98 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 2,924 people with the surname Chavers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,353), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.98 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 Chavers.
Has Chavers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chavers went from 3,230 recorded bearers to 2,924. That is a decrease of 306 (-9.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,987 to #10,476.
What does the Census say about the background of Chavers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chavers, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.4%. The next largest groups are Black (36.0%) and Two or More Races (6.0%). 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 Chavers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.4% (1,533 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chavers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.4%), Black (36.0%), Two or More Races (6.0%). 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 Chavers (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 Chavers mean?
An English occupational surname for someone who specialized in making keys or worked as a locksmith. 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 Chavers (0.98 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 Chavers?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.