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

Cheatum, 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 Cheatum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cheatum in America

Cheatum is the 33241st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cheatum surname appeared 688 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 Cheatum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cheatum 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 Cheatum

The surname Cheatum is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "ceaþ" meaning "strife" or "conflict," and "ham" meaning "homestead" or "village." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a settlement or hamlet where conflicts or battles occurred.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Court Rolls of the Borough of Colchester, Essex, dated 1363, which mention a John Cheatum. Another early reference is in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, where a Robert Cheatum is listed.

The name Cheatum appears to have been concentrated primarily in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk during its early history. It is possible that the name may have originated from a specific place name, such as Cheatham in Lancashire, which itself derived from the Old English "Ceatham" meaning "settlement by the streams."

In the 16th century, the name was recorded with various spellings, including Chetham, Cheetham, and Cheatham, reflecting the phonetic variations common during that period. One notable bearer of the name was Humphrey Chetham (1580-1653), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from Manchester, who founded Chetham's Library and Chetham's Hospital and School.

Another prominent figure was Henry Chetham (1564-1638), a successful textile merchant and landowner from Crumpsall, Lancashire, who served as High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1625. His family's coat of arms, granted in 1613, featured three wheat sheaves, possibly a play on the name's pronunciation.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in various records, such as the Hearth Tax Rolls of Lancashire (1663-1674), which listed several individuals with the surname Cheatum or its variations.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the name continued to be found across northern England, particularly in Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire. Notable bearers include Sir Humphrey Chetham (1707-1786), a wealthy banker and landowner from Manchester, and John Chetham (1815-1889), a prominent English artist and illustrator.

While the surname Cheatum is not among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history rooted in the northern regions of England, with connections to both medieval conflicts and prosperous merchant families.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cheatum

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

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

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

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