2000
#12,893
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,188
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Cheeseman
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of cheese.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,384 Americans carry the last name Cheeseman. That puts it at #13,896 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 143,773 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cheeseman 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Cheeseman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 143,773
Census rank
#13,896
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,079 bearers of the surname Cheeseman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13896th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cheeseman, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cheeseman
The surname Cheeseman has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is an occupational surname derived from the Old English words "cyse" (cheese) and "man" (person), referring to an individual who was involved in the production or selling of cheese.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cheeseman can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like record from 1273, which mentions a John le Chyseman. This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.
In the 14th century, the Cheeseman surname appeared in various records, such as the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, which listed a William Cheseman. The name was also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1334, where a Thomas Cheseman was recorded.
The Cheeseman surname may have been influenced by place names like Cheeseburn in Northumberland or Cheeseworth in Wiltshire, suggesting a possible connection between the name and specific locations where cheese production or trade was prevalent.
One notable figure bearing the Cheeseman surname was Sir Nicholas Cheeseman (c. 1515-1587), a English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1573-1574. He was involved in the cloth trade and was a member of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors.
Another individual of historical significance was Thomas Cheeseman (1594-1659), an English churchman and academic who served as the Master of Christ's College, Cambridge, from 1645 until his death.
In the 17th century, the Cheeseman surname was found in various records, such as the Hearth Tax Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1673, which listed a William Cheeseman.
During the same period, John Cheeseman (1594-1670) was a prominent English Puritan minister and author, known for his work "The Scriptural Doctrine of Divine Predestination."
In the 18th century, the Cheeseman surname appeared in various parish records across England, including the baptismal record of William Cheeseman in 1733 in St. Mary's Church, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.
Throughout history, the Cheeseman surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, reflecting its origins as an occupational name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cheeseman
Among Census respondents with the surname Cheeseman, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Cheeseman 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 Cheeseman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.3% · 1,815
- Black or African American4.3% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 86
- Two or more races3.3% · 69
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cheeseman
Cheeseman 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
#13,271
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,298
+110 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 378 places
2020
#13,896
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,079
-219 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 625 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,893 | 2,188 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,271 | 2,298 | 0.78 | +110 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 378 places |
| 2020 | #13,896 | 2,079 | 0.70 | -219 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 625 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 Cheeseman 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 | #13,271 | #13,896 | -4.7% |
| Count | 2,298 | 2,079 | -9.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.70 | -10.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cheeseman bearers went from 2,298 to 2,079 (-9.5% change). The surname moved down 625 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,271 to #13,896.
FAQ
Cheeseman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cheeseman?
Name Census estimates that about 2,384 living Americans carry the surname Cheeseman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 143,773 residents.
How common is Cheeseman?
Cheeseman ranks #13,896 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,079 people with the surname Cheeseman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,384), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Cheeseman.
Has Cheeseman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cheeseman went from 2,298 recorded bearers to 2,079. That is a decrease of 219 (-9.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,271 to #13,896.
What does the Census say about the background of Cheeseman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cheeseman, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Cheeseman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (1,815 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cheeseman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.3%), Black (4.3%), Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Cheeseman (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 Cheeseman mean?
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of cheese. 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 Cheeseman (0.70 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 many people have the last name Cheeseman?
You can see how many people have the last name Cheeseman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.