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

Cheek, 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 Cheek surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cheek in America

Cheek is the 2273rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cheek surname appeared 16,020 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Cheek.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cheek 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 Cheek

The surname Cheek is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "cēace" which means "cheek" or "jaw". This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname referring to someone with prominent or distinctive cheeks.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Cheek dates back to the late 12th century in Essex, England. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William Cheke, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Huntingdonshire in 1197.

The Cheek surname also appears in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which were a census of landowners at the time. This record includes entries for individuals with the surname Cheek residing in various counties across England, including Oxfordshire, Berkshire, and Cambridgeshire.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name Cheek was often spelled in various ways, including Cheke, Chike, and Chyke, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in spelling at the time.

One notable bearer of the Cheek surname was Sir John Cheke (1514-1557), an English scholar, and Humanist who served as a tutor to King Edward VI. He is renowned for his contributions to the English language and his advocacy for the use of English as a written language.

Another notable figure was Henry Cheke (1701-1781), an English mathematician and author who published several works on algebra and geometry.

In the 19th century, the Cheek surname was associated with several prominent individuals, such as Ebenezer Cheek (1804-1884), an American farmer and politician who served as a representative in the Texas State Legislature.

Sarah Cheek (1828-1901) was a notable African American educator and activist who established one of the earliest schools for African American children in Washington, D.C., during the Civil War era.

The Cheek surname has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Cheekley in Staffordshire and Cheekhampton in Devon, which may have influenced the spelling and distribution of the name over time.

While the surname Cheek is primarily concentrated in England and the United States, it has also been documented in other parts of the world, likely due to migration and the spread of English-speaking populations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cheek

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

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

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

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