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

Cheeks, 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 Cheeks surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cheeks in America

Cheeks is the 7964th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cheeks surname appeared 4,155 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Cheeks.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cheeks 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 Cheeks

The surname CHEEKS is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "ceice" or "cece," meaning cheek or jaw. It likely originated as a nickname for someone with prominent cheeks or a distinctive facial feature.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century in Yorkshire, England, where a Roger Cheke was mentioned in the Feet of Fines records in 1273. The surname is believed to have originated in the northern regions of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire.

One of the earliest documented references to the CHEEKS surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a certain Alured Chec is listed as a landowner in Norfolk. This record suggests that the name had already been established as a surname by the time of the Norman Conquest.

During the Middle Ages, the CHEEKS surname appeared in various spellings, such as Cheke, Cheke, and Cheeke, reflecting the lack of standardized spelling at the time. The name was often associated with places like Cheekley in Staffordshire and Cheekfield in Derbyshire, which may have influenced the surname's development.

Notable individuals bearing the CHEEKS surname include Sir John Cheke (1514-1557), a renowned Renaissance scholar and tutor to King Edward VI of England. Another prominent figure was Henry Cheke (1515-1586), a member of the English Parliament and ambassador to the Netherlands.

In the 17th century, Captain Samuel Cheeks (1620-1670) was a prominent figure in the English Civil War, serving as a captain in the Parliamentary forces. His son, also named Samuel Cheeks (1650-1714), became a respected clergyman and author.

During the 18th century, the CHEEKS surname gained prominence with individuals like John Cheeks (1734-1803), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War, and William Cheeks (1760-1835), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Virginia, United States.

As the surname spread beyond England, it became more prevalent in other parts of the British Isles and eventually in North America, where many immigrants from England and Scotland settled, carrying the CHEEKS name with them.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cheeks

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

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

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

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