2000
#15,364
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,754
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.65
Rare Last name
Cherney
A Russian or Ukrainian ornamental surname indicating origin from the Black Sea region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,054 Americans carry the last name Cherney. That puts it at #15,699 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 166,872 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cherney 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
2.1K
1 in 166,872
Census rank
#15,699
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,791 bearers of the surname Cherney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15699th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cherney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cherney
Among Census respondents with the surname Cherney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Cherney 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 Cherney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 1,660
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 62
- Two or more races2.3% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 14
- Black or African American0.6% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cherney
Cherney 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
#17,764
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,577
-177 bearers (-10.1%)
Per 100,000 0.53
Rank movement Down 2,400 places
2020
#15,699
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,791
+214 bearers (+13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 2,065 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,364 | 1,754 | 0.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,764 | 1,577 | 0.53 | -177 bearers (-10.1%) | Down 2,400 places |
| 2020 | #15,699 | 1,791 | 0.60 | +214 bearers (+13.6%) | Up 2,065 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 Cherney 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 | #17,764 | #15,699 | 11.6% |
| Count | 1,577 | 1,791 | 13.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.53 | 0.60 | 13.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cherney bearers went from 1,577 to 1,791 (+13.6% change). The surname moved up 2,065 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,764 to #15,699.
FAQ
Cherney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cherney?
Name Census estimates that about 2,054 living Americans carry the surname Cherney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 166,872 residents.
How common is Cherney?
Cherney ranks #15,699 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 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 1,791 people with the surname Cherney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,054), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 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 Cherney.
Has Cherney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cherney went from 1,577 recorded bearers to 1,791. That is an increase of 214 (+13.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,764 to #15,699.
What does the Census say about the background of Cherney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cherney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Cherney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (1,660 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cherney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Cherney (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 Cherney mean?
A Russian or Ukrainian ornamental surname indicating origin from the Black Sea region. 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 Cherney (0.60 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 have the surname Cherney?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.