2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Chavie
A Hebrew surname meaning "life" or "living."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Chavie. 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 Chavie 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 Chavie 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 Chavie, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and Hispanic (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chavie
The surname "CHAVIE" is believed to have originated in the Normandy region of northern France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "chavier," meaning "maker of keys or locks." The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be "Chaviere" in the 12th century.
In the late 11th century, many Normans migrated to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is possible that the Chavie surname was introduced to England during this period by Norman settlers who were skilled locksmiths or blacksmiths. However, there are no known references to the name in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants in England at that time.
One of the earliest documented instances of the Chavie surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mention a person named "Willelmus Chaviere." This Latin form of the name suggests that the individual was likely of Norman descent and had settled in the southwestern English county of Gloucestershire.
In the 13th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of England, as evidenced by records from the county of Yorkshire. A man named "Robertus Chavie" is mentioned in the Yorkshire Feet of Fines from 1246, which were legal documents recording land transactions.
During the medieval period, the Chavie surname was also associated with the village of Chaveney in the French province of Burgundy. It is possible that some individuals bearing the name originated from or had ties to this location.
Notable individuals with the Chavie surname throughout history include:
1. Jean Chavie (c. 1520 - 1588), a French locksmith and metalworker who was renowned for his intricate designs and craftsmanship.
2. William Chavie (1612 - 1683), an English architect and surveyor who worked on several prominent buildings in London, including St. Paul's Cathedral.
3. Marie-Thérèse Chavie (1748 - 1823), a French painter and engraver known for her portraits and landscapes.
4. John Chavie (1809 - 1892), a British engineer and inventor who patented several innovations in the field of locks and security systems.
5. Émile Chavie (1865 - 1941), a French sculptor and artist who specialized in creating works inspired by medieval themes and architecture.
While the Chavie surname has its roots in France and England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical records and references mentioned above provide insights into the name's origins and early presence in specific regions and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chavie
Among Census respondents with the surname Chavie, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and Hispanic (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Chavie 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 Chavie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.0% · 96
- Two or more races7.1% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino5.3% · 6
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chavie
Chavie appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+13 bearers (+13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,754 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+13.0%) | Up 13,754 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 Chavie 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 | #160,975 | #147,221 | 8.5% |
| Count | 100 | 113 | 13.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 26.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chavie bearers went from 100 to 113 (+13.0% change). The surname moved up 13,754 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #147,221.
FAQ
Chavie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chavie?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Chavie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Chavie?
Chavie 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 Chavie. 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 Chavie.
Has Chavie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chavie went from 100 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 13 (+13.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Chavie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chavie, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and Hispanic (5.3%). 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 Chavie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.0% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chavie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.0%), Two or More Races (7.1%), Hispanic (5.3%). 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 Chavie (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 Chavie mean?
A Hebrew surname meaning "life" or "living." 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 Chavie (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 share the surname Chavie?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.