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

Cheairs, 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 Cheairs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cheairs in America

Cheairs is the 48530th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cheairs surname appeared 435 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Cheairs.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cheairs 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 Cheairs

The surname CHEAIRS is believed to have originated in Scotland, deriving from the Scottish Gaelic word "cathair," which means "seat" or "fort." It is thought to have arisen as a territorial name for someone who lived near a prominent fort or castle.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, where it appears as "de Cathyr." This suggests that the name had already taken on a more Anglicized spelling by the late 13th century.

In the 15th century, records show variations of the name such as "Cathyr," "Chathyr," and "Chathir," indicating the transition to the more modern spelling of "CHEAIRS."

A notable bearer of the name was John CHEAIRS, a Scottish nobleman born in 1450 who fought alongside King James IV of Scotland at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He was reportedly killed in the conflict.

Another early record of the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1508, which mention a "William CHEARIS" from Ayrshire.

In the 17th century, the name spread to other parts of the British Isles, with records showing CHEAIRS families in England and Ireland. One such individual was Robert CHEAIRS, an Irish soldier born in 1665 who served in the Nine Years' War against France.

As the name continued to evolve, variations such as "Cheers" and "Cheers" emerged, likely influenced by the English pronunciation of the Scottish Gaelic root.

By the 18th century, the spelling "CHEAIRS" had become more prevalent, as evidenced by the birth of James CHEAIRS in 1745 in Glasgow, Scotland. He later emigrated to the American colonies and fought in the Revolutionary War.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir William CHEAIRS, a Scottish engineer born in 1789 who played a significant role in the construction of the Forth Bridge in Scotland, which was completed in 1890.

Throughout its history, the surname CHEAIRS has been associated with various locations in Scotland, including Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and the Scottish Borders region, suggesting that it may have originated in multiple areas before spreading across the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cheairs

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

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 Cheairs 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 Cheairs 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 Cheairs was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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