2000
#8,850
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,404
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.26
Rare Last name
Chea
A Cambodian surname derived from the Sanskrit word "kṣetra," meaning "field" or "land."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,637 Americans carry the last name Chea. That puts it at #6,609 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 60,804 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chea 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
5.6K
1 in 60,804
Census rank
#6,609
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,916 bearers of the surname Chea in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6609th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chea, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (6.8%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chea
The surname CHEA is believed to have originated in Cambodia, where it is considered a common family name. The name is derived from the Khmer word "cheā," which means "father" or "paternal ancestor." This suggests that the name was likely adopted to signify one's lineage or ancestry.
CHEA is thought to have first emerged as a surname during the Khmer Empire, which ruled over much of mainland Southeast Asia from the 9th to the 15th century. During this time, the use of surnames became more widespread, particularly among the noble and ruling classes.
One of the earliest known records of the name CHEA can be found in the inscriptions of the Angkor Wat temple complex, which was built in the early 12th century. These inscriptions mention individuals with the surname CHEA who held various positions within the Khmer royal court and government.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Chea Chhom played a crucial role in the establishment of the Khmer capital of Oudong. Chea Chhom was a high-ranking official and advisor to King Ang Chan, and his descendants continued to hold influential positions in the Khmer court for several generations.
Another notable individual with the surname CHEA was Chea Vath, a revered Buddhist monk who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Chea Vath is credited with reviving and preserving the Khmer script and literature during a period of political turmoil and foreign invasion.
In more recent times, Chea Sim, who lived from 1932 to 2015, was a prominent Cambodian politician and the President of the Cambodian People's Party from 1981 until his death. He played a significant role in the reconstruction of Cambodia after the Khmer Rouge regime.
Chea Samnang, born in 1973, is a contemporary Cambodian artist known for his works that explore themes of identity, memory, and social justice. His installations and performances have been exhibited internationally and have garnered critical acclaim.
While the surname CHEA is most commonly associated with Cambodia, it has also been adopted by individuals of Cambodian descent living in other parts of the world, particularly in countries with significant Cambodian immigrant communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chea
Among Census respondents with the surname Chea, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (6.8%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Chea 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 Chea surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander83.0% · 4,078
- Black or African American6.8% · 336
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 223
- Two or more races3.4% · 169
- White2.2% · 108
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chea
Chea 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
#7,411
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,492
+1,088 bearers (+32.0%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Up 1,439 places
2020
#6,609
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,916
+424 bearers (+9.4%)
Per 100,000 1.64
Rank movement Up 802 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,850 | 3,404 | 1.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,411 | 4,492 | 1.52 | +1,088 bearers (+32.0%) | Up 1,439 places |
| 2020 | #6,609 | 4,916 | 1.64 | +424 bearers (+9.4%) | Up 802 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 Chea 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 | #7,411 | #6,609 | 10.8% |
| Count | 4,492 | 4,916 | 9.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.52 | 1.64 | 8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chea bearers went from 4,492 to 4,916 (+9.4% change). The surname moved up 802 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,411 to #6,609.
FAQ
Chea surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chea?
Name Census estimates that about 5,637 living Americans carry the surname Chea. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 60,804 residents.
How common is Chea?
Chea ranks #6,609 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.64 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 4,916 people with the surname Chea. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,637), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.64 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 Chea.
Has Chea become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chea went from 4,492 recorded bearers to 4,916. That is an increase of 424 (+9.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,411 to #6,609.
What does the Census say about the background of Chea?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chea, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (6.8%) and Hispanic (4.5%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Chea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.0% (4,078 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chea appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (83.0%), Black (6.8%), Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Chea (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 Chea mean?
A Cambodian surname derived from the Sanskrit word "kṣetra," meaning "field" or "land." 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 Chea (1.64 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 common is the surname Chea?
See how many people are called Chea on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.