2000
#2,415
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,744
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.09
Uncommon Last name
Chavis
A French surname derived from the Old French word "chave," meaning "bald" or "balding."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,912 Americans carry the last name Chavis. That puts it at #2,537 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 21,541 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chavis 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
16K
1 in 21,541
Census rank
#2,537
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,876 bearers of the surname Chavis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2537th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chavis, the largest self-reported group is Black at 38.6%. The next largest groups are White (26.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (20.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chavis
Among Census respondents with the surname Chavis, the largest self-reported group is Black at 38.6%. The next largest groups are White (26.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (20.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Chavis 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 Chavis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American38.6% · 5,351
- White26.9% · 3,729
- American Indian and Alaska Native20.4% · 2,837
- Two or more races8.4% · 1,165
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 711
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 83
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chavis
Chavis 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
#2,442
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,844
+1,100 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 5.03
Rank movement Down 27 places
2020
#2,537
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,876
-968 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 4.64
Rank movement Down 95 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,415 | 13,744 | 5.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,442 | 14,844 | 5.03 | +1,100 bearers (+8.0%) | Down 27 places |
| 2020 | #2,537 | 13,876 | 4.64 | -968 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 95 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 Chavis 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 | #2,442 | #2,537 | -3.9% |
| Count | 14,844 | 13,876 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 5.03 | 4.64 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chavis bearers went from 14,844 to 13,876 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 95 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,442 to #2,537.
FAQ
Chavis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chavis?
Name Census estimates that about 15,912 living Americans carry the surname Chavis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 21,541 residents.
How common is Chavis?
Chavis ranks #2,537 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,876 people with the surname Chavis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,912), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Chavis.
Has Chavis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chavis went from 14,844 recorded bearers to 13,876. That is a decrease of 968 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,442 to #2,537.
What does the Census say about the background of Chavis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chavis, the largest self-reported group is Black at 38.6%. The next largest groups are White (26.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (20.4%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Chavis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 38.6% (5,351 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chavis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (38.6%), White (26.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (20.4%). 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 Chavis (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 Chavis mean?
A French surname derived from the Old French word "chave," meaning "bald" or "balding." 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 Chavis (4.64 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 Chavis?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.