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

Chenoweth, 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 Chenoweth surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chenoweth in America

Chenoweth is the 7160th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chenoweth surname appeared 4,673 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Chenoweth.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chenoweth 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 Chenoweth

The surname Chenoweth is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "cyne" meaning royal or kingly, and "wath" meaning a path or road, suggesting it may have referred to a royal road or path.

One of the earliest known records of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Chenewath" in reference to a landowner in Warwickshire. This indicates that the name was already established in parts of England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, variations of the name such as "Chenewode" and "Chenewith" can be found in various historical documents from counties like Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. These spellings likely reflect the local dialects and pronunciations at the time.

A notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Chenoweth, a knight who fought in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 during the Hundred Years' War. He was born in Worcestershire around 1380 and served under King Henry V.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name appeared to have spread to other parts of England, with records showing Chenoweths residing in counties like Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall. One notable figure from this period was Edward Chenoweth, a merchant and member of the East India Company, who was born in Bristol in 1620.

In the 18th century, the name gained further prominence with individuals like Arthur Chenoweth, a renowned architect born in London in 1712, who designed several notable buildings in the city. Another notable figure was Mary Chenoweth, a writer and activist born in Dorset in 1765, who championed women's rights and education.

As the Chenoweth family dispersed across England and beyond, the name underwent various spelling variations such as Chenowith, Chenworth, and Chinnworth. Despite these variations, the name has maintained its distinct identity and can be traced back to its medieval English origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chenoweth

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

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

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

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