2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Chedister
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "cheese house" or "cheese farm."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Chedister. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chedister 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Chedister in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chedister, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chedister
The surname Chedister is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from a place name, as many English surnames did during that era. The most likely derivation is from the village of Chediston or Chedestun, located in the county of Suffolk, England.
The earliest recorded spelling of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cedestuna." This ancient record provides valuable insights into the name's history, as it catalogued landowners and their properties across England following the Norman Conquest.
In the 13th century, the surname began to emerge in various forms, including Chedeston, Chedistun, and Chedisterne, reflecting the local dialects and spellings of the time. These variations were likely influenced by the Old English words "ced" (meaning a regional dialect) and "tun" (meaning a farm or settlement).
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Chedister can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which listed landowners and their holdings. The entry "Radulfus de Chedisterne" refers to Ralph of Chedister, a resident of the Suffolk village.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, where a certain William Chedister was recorded as a taxpayer in 1379.
Notably, during the 16th century, a prominent figure named John Chedister (1523-1587) served as a member of the English Parliament, representing the borough of Ipswich in Suffolk.
Another noteworthy individual bearing the surname was Thomas Chedister (1682-1748), a renowned clockmaker and inventor from London, known for his innovative timepiece designs and contributions to horology.
In the 18th century, the Reverend James Chedister (1735-1803) gained recognition as a respected clergyman and scholar, serving as the vicar of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.
As the centuries passed, members of the Chedister family dispersed across England and beyond, with some migrating to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the American colonies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chedister
Among Census respondents with the surname Chedister, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Chedister 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 Chedister surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 5
- Two or more races3.9% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chedister
Chedister 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-6 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,478 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 3,052 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 16,478 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 3,052 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 Chedister 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 | #157,234 | #154,182 | 1.9% |
| Count | 103 | 103 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chedister bearers went from 103 to 103 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 3,052 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #154,182.
FAQ
Chedister surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chedister?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Chedister. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Chedister?
Chedister ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 103 people with the surname Chedister. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Chedister.
Has Chedister become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chedister went from 103 recorded bearers to 103. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Chedister?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chedister, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Chedister in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chedister appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Hispanic (4.9%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Chedister (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 Chedister mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "cheese house" or "cheese farm." 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 Chedister (0.03 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 Chedister?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Chedister on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.