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

Cheathem, 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 Cheathem surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cheathem in America

Cheathem is the 80419th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cheathem surname appeared 236 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 Cheathem.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cheathem 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 Cheathem

The surname Cheathem originates from the northern regions of England, most likely from the county of Yorkshire or Lancashire, sometime during the late 12th or early 13th century. It is believed to be derived from an Old English phrase "chetel ham" or "chetil ham", which translates to "the homestead or village of the kettle maker".

Some historical records suggest that the earliest known spelling of the name was "Chetylham", which appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219. This was a form of tax record maintained by the Crown during the reign of King Henry III. The name is thought to have evolved over time, with variations such as "Chetylhame", "Chetylheym", and eventually "Cheathem".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cheathem can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire from 1332, where a John de Chetylham is listed as a landowner. This suggests that the family had already established itself in the region by the 14th century.

In the late 15th century, a notable figure named William Cheathem (c. 1465 - 1521) was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of York. He was involved in the wool trade and served as the Mayor of York in 1507.

Another historical figure was Thomas Cheathem (1582 - 1648), a Puritan minister who served as the vicar of Bawdrip in Somerset during the English Civil War. He was a staunch supporter of the Parliamentarian cause and is known for his sermons condemning the actions of King Charles I.

During the 17th century, the Cheathem family also had a presence in the county of Cheshire. Records show that a Richard Cheathem (1623 - 1692) was a prosperous landowner and justice of the peace in the town of Nantwich.

In the 18th century, a notable individual was Captain John Cheathem (1734 - 1805), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War. He was commended for his bravery in several battles against the French and Spanish fleets.

The Cheathem surname has also been associated with certain place names in northern England, such as Cheatham Hill in Manchester and Cheatham's Close in York, which may have derived their names from the family's historical presence in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cheathem

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

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

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

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