2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Chertoff
A surname of Russian/Ukrainian origin meaning "sketch" or "draft".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Chertoff. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chertoff 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Chertoff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chertoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chertoff
The surname "CHERTOFF" is of Russian and Jewish origin, with its roots traced back to the 19th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Russian word "chert," which translates to "devil" or "demon," suggesting a connection to a dark or sinister background.
In the early 1800s, records indicate that the Chertoff surname was predominantly found among Jewish communities in the Russian Empire, particularly in areas such as Ukraine and Belarus. It is speculated that the name may have originated as a descriptive nickname or a profession-related moniker.
One of the earliest documented mentions of the Chertoff name can be found in the archives of the Russian Imperial Census of 1897, where several families bearing this surname were recorded in various regions of the empire. However, the name's historical roots may stretch even further back, potentially linking to the medieval era.
Among the notable individuals with the Chertoff surname, one can find Lev Mikhailovich Chertoff (1893-1938), a Soviet military officer and recipient of the Order of the Red Banner during the Russian Civil War. Another prominent figure was Mikhail Chertoff (1847-1925), a Russian mathematician and educator who made significant contributions to the field of geometry.
In the literary realm, the Russian writer and poet Elizaveta Chertoff (1881-1961) gained recognition for her works that explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition. Her poetry collections, such as "Verses of Sorrow" and "Echoes of the Heart," were widely acclaimed during her lifetime.
Moving forward in time, Michael Chertoff (born in 1953) gained prominence as the second United States Secretary of Homeland Security, serving under President George W. Bush from 2005 to 2009. His tenure was marked by efforts to strengthen national security measures and address immigration reforms.
Another notable figure with the Chertoff surname was Alexander Chertoff (1918-2005), a renowned Russian-American artist whose abstract expressionist paintings garnered critical acclaim. His works were exhibited in prestigious galleries and museums across the United States and Europe.
While the origins of the Chertoff surname may have been shrouded in mystery, its journey through history has been marked by individuals who have left their mark in various fields, from military service and academia to literature and art.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chertoff
Among Census respondents with the surname Chertoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Chertoff 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 Chertoff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chertoff
Chertoff 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-7 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,088 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+8 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,559 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 16,088 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.2%) | Up 5,559 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 Chertoff 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 | #148,347 | #142,788 | 3.7% |
| Count | 111 | 119 | 7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chertoff bearers went from 111 to 119 (+7.2% change). The surname moved up 5,559 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #142,788.
FAQ
Chertoff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chertoff?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Chertoff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Chertoff?
Chertoff ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 119 people with the surname Chertoff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Chertoff.
Has Chertoff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chertoff went from 111 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 8 (+7.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Chertoff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chertoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Chertoff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chertoff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Chertoff (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 Chertoff mean?
A surname of Russian/Ukrainian origin meaning "sketch" or "draft". 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 Chertoff (0.04 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 common is the surname Chertoff?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Chertoff on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.