2000
#8,956
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,357
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Chesnut
An English occupational surname referring to someone who sold or gathered chestnuts, or lived near a chestnut tree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,829 Americans carry the last name Chesnut. That puts it at #9,354 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,515 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chesnut 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
3.8K
1 in 89,515
Census rank
#9,354
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,339 bearers of the surname Chesnut in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9354th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chesnut, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chesnut
The surname Chesnut has its origins in England, derived from the Middle English word "chesten" or "chestnut," referring to the edible nut of the chestnut tree. The name likely emerged as a descriptive surname during the medieval period, given to individuals who lived near a chestnut tree or grove, or who were associated with the cultivation or trade of chestnuts.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 13th century, with references found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it appears as "Chestnut." The name also appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301, spelled as "Chesteneyt."
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are references to places with names containing the element "chest" or "chesten," such as Chesterton in Cambridgeshire and Chestnut Hill in Essex, suggesting that the surname may have originated from these locales.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Chesnut, a merchant from London, who is mentioned in records from the early 15th century. Another notable figure was Sir John Chesnut, a English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France in the mid-15th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname underwent various spelling variations, including Chestnut, Chesnutt, and Chesnett, reflecting the inconsistent orthography of the time. One prominent individual from this period was Sir John Chesnutt (1558-1634), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Malmesbury.
In the literary realm, Robert Chestnut (1720-1783) was an English poet and playwright, known for his satirical works and contributions to periodicals such as The Gentleman's Magazine.
Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Edward Chesnut (1795-1872), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a rear admiral.
These examples illustrate the long-standing presence of the surname Chesnut in England, as well as its association with various professions and social ranks throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chesnut
Among Census respondents with the surname Chesnut, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Chesnut 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 Chesnut surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 3,010
- Two or more races3.5% · 117
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 104
- Black or African American1.9% · 65
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chesnut
Chesnut 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
#9,652
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,362
+5 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Down 696 places
2020
#9,354
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,339
-23 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Up 298 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,956 | 3,357 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,652 | 3,362 | 1.14 | +5 bearers (+0.1%) | Down 696 places |
| 2020 | #9,354 | 3,339 | 1.12 | -23 bearers (-0.7%) | Up 298 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 Chesnut 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 | #9,652 | #9,354 | 3.1% |
| Count | 3,362 | 3,339 | -0.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.14 | 1.12 | -2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chesnut bearers went from 3,362 to 3,339 (-0.7% change). The surname moved up 298 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,652 to #9,354.
FAQ
Chesnut surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chesnut?
Name Census estimates that about 3,829 living Americans carry the surname Chesnut. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,515 residents.
How common is Chesnut?
Chesnut ranks #9,354 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 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 3,339 people with the surname Chesnut. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,829), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 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 Chesnut.
Has Chesnut become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chesnut went from 3,362 recorded bearers to 3,339. That is a decrease of 23 (-0.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,652 to #9,354.
What does the Census say about the background of Chesnut?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chesnut, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Chesnut in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (3,010 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chesnut appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Chesnut (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 Chesnut mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who sold or gathered chestnuts, or lived near a chestnut tree. 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 Chesnut (1.12 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 Americans have the surname Chesnut?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.