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

Cherney, 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 Cherney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cherney in America

Cherney is the 17764th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cherney surname appeared 1,577 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 Cherney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cherney 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 Cherney

The surname Cherney has its origins in Eastern Europe, specifically in regions that are now part of modern-day Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus. It is believed to have derived from the Slavic root word "cheren," which means "black" or "dark." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cherney can be found in the Metryka Litewska, a collection of Lithuanian state documents from the 15th to the 18th century. In these records, the name appears in various spellings, such as "Czernij," "Czerney," and "Czernij."

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Cherney surname was prevalent in the regions of Galicia and Volhynia, which were then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It is documented that in 1628, a nobleman named Jan Cherney was granted land in the village of Ostrów, near the town of Lublin, in recognition of his military service.

In the 18th century, the Cherney surname gained prominence in the Russian Empire, particularly in the territories of modern-day Ukraine and Belarus. One notable figure from this time was Grigory Cherney, a Cossack leader who fought against the Russian imperial forces during the Pugachev Rebellion in the 1770s.

As the Cherney family spread throughout Eastern Europe, variations of the surname emerged, such as Chernyak, Chernyavsky, and Chernyshev. These variations often reflected the regional dialects and linguistic influences of the areas where the families settled.

In the 19th century, several individuals bearing the Cherney surname made significant contributions in various fields. For instance, Nikolai Cherney (1828-1898) was a renowned Russian mathematician and educator who made significant advancements in the field of number theory.

Another notable figure was Pyotr Cherney (1856-1936), a Russian artist and illustrator known for his works depicting scenes from Russian folklore and rural life. His illustrations adorned numerous books and publications during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the realm of literature, the Cherney surname is associated with the Ukrainian writer and poet Sergey Cherney (1879-1944), whose works explored themes of social justice and the struggles of the working class.

The Cherney surname also left its mark in the field of music. Vladimir Cherney (1902-1975) was a prominent Soviet composer and conductor who made significant contributions to the development of Soviet opera and ballet.

Throughout its history, the surname Cherney has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, each leaving their unique imprint on the cultural tapestry of Eastern Europe and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cherney

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

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

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

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