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

Cheetham, 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 Cheetham surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cheetham in America

Cheetham is the 34668th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cheetham surname appeared 652 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 Cheetham.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cheetham 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 Cheetham

The surname Cheetham traces its origins to Lancashire, England, where it is believed to have emerged during the medieval period. It is a locational surname derived from the place name "Cheetham," which itself is derived from the Old English words "cēte" meaning a rough hut or shelter, and "hām" meaning a homestead or village.

Cheetham was initially recorded as "Cheteham" in the Domesday Book of 1086, a manuscript record of the great survey commissioned by William the Conqueror. This early reference suggests that the name was well-established in the region by the 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Cheetham was Richard de Chetham, who was documented in the Lancashire Assize Rolls of 1246. The name also appeared in various forms, such as Chetham and Chetam, in medieval records of the region.

The surname Cheetham is closely associated with the historic Cheetham area in Manchester, which was once a separate township. This connection is evident in the life of Humphrey Chetham (1580-1653), a prosperous merchant and philanthropist who founded Chetham's Library and Chetham's Hospital (now Chetham's School of Music) in Manchester.

Another notable figure with the surname Cheetham was James Cheetham (1772-1810), an English-born American writer, editor, and political activist. He played a significant role in the early days of American journalism and was a vocal critic of the Federalist Party.

In the 19th century, Joseph Cheetham (1808-1889) was a prominent English industrialist and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for North Lancashire from 1868 to 1880. He was also a successful cotton manufacturer and philanthropist.

The name Cheetham has also been associated with the arts. John Cheetham (1939-2019) was an English painter and printmaker known for his abstract compositions, while James Cheetham (1772-1810) was an American writer and editor who published several influential works during the early years of the United States.

Throughout its history, the surname Cheetham has maintained strong ties to its Lancashire roots, with many families continuing to reside in the region. The name has also spread to other parts of the world, carried by individuals and families who migrated from England over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cheetham

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

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

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

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