2000
#5,719
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,557
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.06
Rare Last name
Chesser
An occupational surname for someone who played chess or made chessboards.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,090 Americans carry the last name Chesser. That puts it at #6,181 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,282 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chesser 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Chesser with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.1K
1 in 56,282
Census rank
#6,181
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,311 bearers of the surname Chesser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6181st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chesser, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chesser
The surname Chesser has its origins in England, first appearing in historical records during the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "chesser," meaning "cheese maker" or "cheese seller." This occupation-based surname likely arose from an individual who was involved in the production or trade of cheese.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1195, where a person named Robert le Chesser is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in certain parts of England by the late 12th century.
The Chesser surname is also thought to have connections to various place names in England, such as Cheshire, which was formerly known as "Chessyre" or "Chesshyre." This county is known for its rich dairy industry, further strengthening the association between the name and cheese-making.
During the 13th century, the Chesser name appeared in several medieval records, including the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, which listed a Walter le Chesser. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also mentioned a John le Chesser, indicating the widespread distribution of the name across different regions of England.
Notable individuals bearing the Chesser surname throughout history include:
1. John Chesser (c. 1524-1587), an English Catholic martyr who was executed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I for his religious beliefs.
2. William Chesser (1706-1763), a Scottish merchant and shipowner who played a significant role in the development of the tobacco trade between Glasgow and Virginia.
3. Elizabeth Chesser (1800-1873), a philanthropist and social reformer from Scotland, known for her work in improving living conditions for the poor and advocating for educational opportunities for women.
4. William Chesser (1878-1952), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Leicestershire County Cricket Club in the early 20th century.
5. Robert Chesser (1905-1979), an American ornithologist and evolutionary biologist, known for his research on the genetics and evolution of birds, particularly the House Sparrow.
Over time, various spelling variations of the Chesser surname have emerged, including Chessor, Cheser, and Chessur, reflecting regional dialects and the evolution of the English language.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chesser
Among Census respondents with the surname Chesser, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Chesser 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 Chesser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 4,719
- Two or more races4.0% · 213
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 171
- Black or African American3.0% · 159
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 31
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chesser
Chesser 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
#6,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,675
+118 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.92
Rank movement Down 328 places
2020
#6,181
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,311
-364 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 1.78
Rank movement Down 134 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,719 | 5,557 | 2.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,047 | 5,675 | 1.92 | +118 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 328 places |
| 2020 | #6,181 | 5,311 | 1.78 | -364 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 134 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 Chesser 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 | #6,047 | #6,181 | -2.2% |
| Count | 5,675 | 5,311 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.92 | 1.78 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chesser bearers went from 5,675 to 5,311 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 134 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,047 to #6,181.
FAQ
Chesser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chesser?
Name Census estimates that about 6,090 living Americans carry the surname Chesser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,282 residents.
How common is Chesser?
Chesser ranks #6,181 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,311 people with the surname Chesser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,090), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Chesser.
Has Chesser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chesser went from 5,675 recorded bearers to 5,311. That is a decrease of 364 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,047 to #6,181.
What does the Census say about the background of Chesser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chesser, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Chesser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (4,719 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chesser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Chesser (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 Chesser mean?
An occupational surname for someone who played chess or made chessboards. 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 Chesser (1.78 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 are called Chesser?
See how many people are called Chesser on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.