Find out how popular the last name Chavis is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Chavis.

Chavis, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Chavis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chavis in America

Chavis is the 2442nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chavis surname appeared 14,844 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Chavis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chavis to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Chavis

The surname "CHAVIS" is of French origin, with its roots traced back to the region of Brittany in northwestern France. The name is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, potentially as early as the 11th century.

One theory suggests that the name "CHAVIS" is derived from the Old French word "chavir," which means "to overturn" or "to capsize." This could indicate that the name was initially assigned as a descriptive nickname to someone who had a tendency to stumble or fall frequently.

Another possibility is that "CHAVIS" is a locative surname, derived from a specific place name. In this case, it may have originated from a small village or hamlet in Brittany, possibly related to the word "chave," meaning "goat" in the Breton language.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "CHAVIS" can be found in medieval documents and records from Brittany and neighboring regions of France. One notable mention is in the Cartulary of Quimperlé, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 13th century, which includes references to individuals bearing the name "CHAVIS."

In the 14th century, a nobleman named Jean CHAVIS was recorded as holding lands and titles in the region of Poitou, in western France. This suggests that by this time, the surname had gained some prominence and was associated with nobility and landowners.

Another historical figure bearing the surname "CHAVIS" was Jacques CHAVIS, a French philosopher and theologian born in Nantes, Brittany, in the late 15th century. He is known for his writings on scholastic philosophy and his involvement in debates surrounding the Protestant Reformation.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname "CHAVIS" began to spread beyond its original Breton roots, as individuals with this name migrated to other parts of France and even to neighboring countries. One notable example is Pierre CHAVIS, a French explorer and navigator who accompanied Samuel de Champlain on expeditions to the New World in the early 17th century.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure named François CHAVIS gained recognition as a talented architect and engineer. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings and fortifications in the city of Bordeaux and its surrounding areas.

As the surname "CHAVIS" continued to spread throughout Europe, it also found its way to other parts of the world through emigration and exploration. For instance, a man named Jean-Baptiste CHAVIS was among the early French settlers who established a colony in the Caribbean island of Martinique in the mid-17th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chavis

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Chavis.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Chavis was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Chavis has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Chavis was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Chavis, please contact us.

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