2000
#4,602
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,055
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.62
Rare Last name
Chaves
A Portuguese and Spanish surname referring to someone who lived near or worked with keys or locks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,536 Americans carry the last name Chaves. That puts it at #4,623 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,154 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chaves 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 Chaves with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.5K
1 in 40,154
Census rank
#4,623
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,444 bearers of the surname Chaves in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4623rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaves, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 50.3%. The next largest groups are White (42.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chaves
The surname Chaves is believed to have originated in Portugal. It is derived from the Galician word "chave," meaning "key," which stems from the Latin word "clavis." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with locksmiths, key makers, or individuals who held positions of authority and control.
The earliest known record of the Chaves surname dates back to the 12th century in the northern Portuguese region of Tras-os-Montes. It is thought to have been derived from the town of Chaves, located near the Spanish border. The town's name itself is believed to come from the Latin word "caveis," meaning "hollows" or "cavities," referring to the topography of the area.
In the 13th century, the Chaves surname appeared in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens," an important Portuguese genealogical record. This document mentions several individuals with the surname, suggesting that it was already well-established by that time.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the Chaves surname was Pero Rodrigues Chaves, a 14th-century Portuguese nobleman and military commander who fought against the Moors in the Reconquista. He was born around 1300 and served under King Afonso IV.
Another prominent figure was Duarte Chaves, a 16th-century Portuguese cartographer and cosmographer. He was born around 1520 and is credited with creating some of the earliest accurate maps of the Indian Ocean and the coasts of Africa and Asia.
In the 17th century, Manoel Chaves was a renowned Portuguese architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Church of Santa Engrácia in Lisbon. He was born in 1590 and is considered a master of the Baroque architectural style.
During the 18th century, José Chaves was a Portuguese painter known for his religious works and portraits. He was born in 1730 and his paintings can be found in various churches and museums throughout Portugal.
In the 19th century, Tomás de Chaves was a Portuguese poet and writer who contributed significantly to the Romantic literary movement in Portugal. He was born in 1825 and his works explored themes of love, nature, and nationalism.
While the Chaves surname has its roots in Portugal, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Spain, Brazil, and various Latin American countries, due to migration and colonization. However, its earliest and most significant historical references can be traced back to the Portuguese territories and the individuals who bore this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chaves
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaves, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 50.3%. The next largest groups are White (42.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Chaves 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 Chaves surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino50.3% · 3,747
- White42.6% · 3,168
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 205
- Two or more races2.1% · 157
- Black or African American1.7% · 128
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chaves
Chaves 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
#4,368
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,137
+1,082 bearers (+15.3%)
Per 100,000 2.76
Rank movement Up 234 places
2020
#4,623
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,444
-693 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 2.49
Rank movement Down 255 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,602 | 7,055 | 2.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,368 | 8,137 | 2.76 | +1,082 bearers (+15.3%) | Up 234 places |
| 2020 | #4,623 | 7,444 | 2.49 | -693 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 255 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 Chaves 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 | #4,368 | #4,623 | -5.8% |
| Count | 8,137 | 7,444 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.76 | 2.49 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chaves bearers went from 8,137 to 7,444 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 255 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,368 to #4,623.
FAQ
Chaves surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chaves?
Name Census estimates that about 8,536 living Americans carry the surname Chaves. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,154 residents.
How common is Chaves?
Chaves ranks #4,623 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.49 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,444 people with the surname Chaves. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,536), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.49 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Chaves.
Has Chaves become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chaves went from 8,137 recorded bearers to 7,444. That is a decrease of 693 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,368 to #4,623.
What does the Census say about the background of Chaves?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaves, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 50.3%. The next largest groups are White (42.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Chaves in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.3% (3,747 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chaves appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (50.3%), White (42.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Chaves (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 Chaves mean?
A Portuguese and Spanish surname referring to someone who lived near or worked with keys or locks. 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 Chaves (2.49 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 Chaves?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.