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

Chenault, 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 Chenault surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chenault in America

Chenault is the 7760th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chenault surname appeared 4,278 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 Chenault.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chenault 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 Chenault

The surname CHENAULT originated in France during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "cheneau," which referred to a gutter or a watercourse. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname given to someone who lived near or worked with gutters or water channels.

The earliest recorded instances of the CHENAULT surname date back to the 13th century in the northern regions of France, particularly in the areas around Paris and Normandy. Some historical documents from that time period mention individuals with variations of the spelling, such as Cheneau, Chenault, and Chenaud.

One notable historical reference to the CHENAULT name can be found in the archives of the Chambre des Comptes de Paris, a financial court in Paris, which recorded the name Jehan Chenault in the year 1292. Additionally, the Livre des Bourgeois de Rouen, a register of citizens in the city of Rouen, mentioned a Guillaume Chenault in 1403.

During the Middle Ages, the CHENAULT surname was primarily concentrated in the northern regions of France. Over time, as people migrated and the name spread, it became more widely dispersed across the country and beyond.

Notable individuals with the CHENAULT surname throughout history include:

1. Pierre Chenault (1532-1612), a French magistrate and jurist from Paris.
2. Jean-Baptiste Chenault (1675-1746), a French composer and organist from Dijon.
3. Louis Chenault (1768-1841), a French soldier who fought in the Napoleonic Wars.
4. Claire Chenault (1892-1958), an American aviation pioneer and military aviator who led the Flying Tigers during World War II.
5. Anna M. Chenault (1925-2022), an American businesswoman and political advisor of Chinese descent.

While the CHENAULT surname has its origins in medieval France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and cultural exchange. However, its roots can be traced back to the northern regions of France, where it emerged as an occupational surname related to water channels or gutters.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chenault

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

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

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

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