2000
#10,779
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,717
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.01
Rare Last name
Chesley
From a place called Chesley, derived from the Old English words "cēos" meaning gravel and "lēah" meaning woodland clearing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,988 Americans carry the last name Chesley. That puts it at #11,542 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 114,710 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chesley 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
3.0K
1 in 114,710
Census rank
#11,542
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,606 bearers of the surname Chesley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11542nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chesley, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chesley
The surname Chesley originated in England, with roots dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "cese" meaning cheese, and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing, suggesting a connection to a cheese-making area or dairy farm. The earliest known spelling variation was "Cheselai," found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199.
Chesley was initially concentrated in the West Midlands region of England, particularly in Staffordshire and Worcestershire. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Robert de Cheselay, mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Staffordshire in 1249. The Chesley family is also believed to have held land in the area, as evidenced by the mention of a "Richard de Cheselay" in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including "Cheseley," "Chesseley," and "Chesselay," reflecting the inconsistent spelling practices of the time. The Hundred Rolls of 1275 for Worcestershire recorded a "Willelmus de Cheselay," indicating the presence of the family in that county.
One of the earliest notable figures with the Chesley surname was Sir Robert Chesley, a member of the English gentry who lived in the late 14th century. He was a landowner and served as a knight of the shire for Staffordshire in the Parliament of 1388.
In the 16th century, the Chesley family continued to be prominent in Staffordshire. John Chesley, born around 1520, was a wealthy merchant and landowner in the town of Uttoxeter. His son, Richard Chesley (1545-1621), was a successful lawyer and served as a Justice of the Peace for Staffordshire.
Another noteworthy individual was Sir Thomas Chesley (1570-1645), a Member of Parliament for Staffordshire in the early 17th century. He was a staunch Royalist during the English Civil War and played a role in the defense of Stafford Castle against the Parliamentarian forces.
Over time, the Chesley surname spread to other parts of England, and variations such as "Cheslin," "Chesslin," and "Cheslyn" emerged. The name also made its way to Ireland and Scotland, where it is sometimes rendered as "Chisholm" or "Chisholme."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chesley
Among Census respondents with the surname Chesley, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Chesley 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 Chesley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.0% · 2,086
- Black or African American9.9% · 258
- Two or more races4.2% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 98
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chesley
Chesley 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
#10,871
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,931
+214 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 92 places
2020
#11,542
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,606
-325 bearers (-11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 671 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,779 | 2,717 | 1.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,871 | 2,931 | 0.99 | +214 bearers (+7.9%) | Down 92 places |
| 2020 | #11,542 | 2,606 | 0.87 | -325 bearers (-11.1%) | Down 671 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 Chesley 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 | #10,871 | #11,542 | -6.2% |
| Count | 2,931 | 2,606 | -11.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.99 | 0.87 | -11.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chesley bearers went from 2,931 to 2,606 (-11.1% change). The surname moved down 671 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,871 to #11,542.
FAQ
Chesley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chesley?
Name Census estimates that about 2,988 living Americans carry the surname Chesley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 114,710 residents.
How common is Chesley?
Chesley ranks #11,542 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.87 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 2,606 people with the surname Chesley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,988), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.87 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 Chesley.
Has Chesley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chesley went from 2,931 recorded bearers to 2,606. That is a decrease of 325 (-11.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,871 to #11,542.
What does the Census say about the background of Chesley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chesley, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Chesley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.0% (2,086 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chesley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.0%), Black (9.9%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Chesley (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 Chesley mean?
From a place called Chesley, derived from the Old English words "cēos" meaning gravel and "lēah" meaning woodland clearing. 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 Chesley (0.87 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 Chesley?
See how many people have the surname Chesley on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.