2000
#108,153
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 152
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Chavey
A surname of French origin, possibly derived from the word "cheveril" meaning a goat-like animal or made of goatskin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Chavey. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chavey 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Chavey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chavey, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chavey
The surname CHAVEY is believed to have originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "chavée," which referred to a road or path. This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify someone who lived near a particular road or pathway.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the CHAVEY surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and wealth compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. In this document, the name is spelled as "Chavé," indicating its French roots.
Throughout the centuries, the CHAVEY name has been associated with various locations across France. Some of the areas where the name was particularly prevalent include the regions of Normandy, Brittany, and the Île-de-France.
In the 13th century, a nobleman named Jean de CHAVEY was recorded as owning land in the village of Chavey-sur-Marne, located in the modern-day department of Haute-Marne. This place name likely originated from the CHAVEY surname, suggesting that the family may have been influential in the area at the time.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure bearing the CHAVEY name was Jacques de CHAVEY, a French poet and playwright born in 1550. He is best known for his works celebrating the natural beauty of the French countryside.
Another individual of historical significance was Marie-Jeanne CHAVEY, born in 1725. She was a prominent figure in the French Revolution and played an active role in the Women's March on Versailles in 1789, which is considered a pivotal event in the early stages of the revolution.
In the 19th century, a French artist named Eugène CHAVEY gained recognition for his landscapes and portraiture. He was born in 1810 and exhibited his works at the prestigious Paris Salon.
The CHAVEY surname has also been recorded in various spellings throughout history, such as Chavy, Chavie, and Chavée, reflecting the linguistic evolution and regional variations of the name over time.
While the CHAVEY name is most commonly associated with France, it has also been found in other parts of Europe and beyond, likely due to immigration patterns and the spread of French culture and influence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chavey
Among Census respondents with the surname Chavey, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Chavey 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 Chavey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.1% · 86
- Hispanic or Latino15.9% · 18
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chavey
Chavey 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
-26 bearers (-17.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,710 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-13 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,358 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #108,153 | 152 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | -26 bearers (-17.1%) | Down 25,710 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 13,358 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 Chavey 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 | #133,863 | #147,221 | -10.0% |
| Count | 126 | 113 | -10.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chavey bearers went from 126 to 113 (-10.3% change). The surname moved down 13,358 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #147,221.
FAQ
Chavey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chavey?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Chavey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Chavey?
Chavey ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Chavey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Chavey.
Has Chavey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chavey went from 126 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Chavey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chavey, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Chavey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.1% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chavey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.1%), Hispanic (15.9%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Chavey (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 Chavey mean?
A surname of French origin, possibly derived from the word "cheveril" meaning a goat-like animal or made of goatskin. 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 Chavey (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 many people have the surname Chavey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.