2000
#12,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,179
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Cheever
Derived from a French occupational name for a goatherd, originating from the Old French word "chevre" meaning "goat."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,340 Americans carry the last name Cheever. That puts it at #14,125 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 146,476 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cheever 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
2.3K
1 in 146,476
Census rank
#14,125
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,041 bearers of the surname Cheever in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14125th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cheever, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cheever
The surname Cheever is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Old English words "cefre" or "cefer," which referred to a type of beetle or insect. This suggests that the name may have been given as a nickname to someone who was associated with these insects, perhaps a collector or seller of them.
The earliest recorded instances of the Cheever name can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is John Chever, who was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire in 1273. Additionally, the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327 as "Chevar."
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Cheever surname began to spread across various regions of England, particularly in counties like Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. This was a period when many people adopted fixed surnames, and the spelling variations of the name included Chever, Chevar, and Chevere.
One notable individual bearing the Cheever surname was Ezekiel Cheever, an English-born educator who lived from 1615 to 1708. He is considered one of the principal founders of New England's educational system and played a significant role in establishing several schools in Massachusetts.
Another prominent figure was Ednah Dow Littlehale Cheney Cheever, an American author and educator born in 1824. She wrote several books, including "The Childrens' Poets," and was actively involved in the women's suffrage movement.
In the literary world, John Cheever (1912-1982) stands out as one of the most renowned individuals with this surname. He was an American novelist and short story writer best known for his works such as "The Wapshot Chronicle" and "Falconer," which earned him critical acclaim and numerous awards.
Other notable individuals with the Cheever surname include Benjamin Hudson Cheever (1908-1977), an American novelist and teacher, and Susan Cheever (born 1943), an American novelist and memoirist who is the daughter of John Cheever.
While the Cheever surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration to North America and other English-speaking countries. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period, where it likely began as a descriptive nickname for someone associated with insects or beetles.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cheever
Among Census respondents with the surname Cheever, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Cheever 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 Cheever surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 1,771
- Black or African American4.9% · 101
- Two or more races3.5% · 71
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 67
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cheever
Cheever 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
#13,657
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,217
+38 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 728 places
2020
#14,125
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,041
-176 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 468 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,929 | 2,179 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,657 | 2,217 | 0.75 | +38 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 728 places |
| 2020 | #14,125 | 2,041 | 0.68 | -176 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 468 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 Cheever 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 | #13,657 | #14,125 | -3.4% |
| Count | 2,217 | 2,041 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.68 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cheever bearers went from 2,217 to 2,041 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 468 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,657 to #14,125.
FAQ
Cheever surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cheever?
Name Census estimates that about 2,340 living Americans carry the surname Cheever. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 146,476 residents.
How common is Cheever?
Cheever ranks #14,125 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 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 2,041 people with the surname Cheever. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,340), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 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 Cheever.
Has Cheever become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cheever went from 2,217 recorded bearers to 2,041. That is a decrease of 176 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,657 to #14,125.
What does the Census say about the background of Cheever?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cheever, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Cheever in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (1,771 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cheever appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Black (4.9%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Cheever (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 Cheever mean?
Derived from a French occupational name for a goatherd, originating from the Old French word "chevre" meaning "goat." 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 Cheever (0.68 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 share the surname Cheever?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.