Find out how popular the last name Chesson is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Chesson.

Chesson, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Chesson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chesson in America

Chesson is the 15210th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chesson surname appeared 1,937 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Chesson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chesson to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Chesson

The surname Chesson originated from the Old English pre-7th century word "cese" meaning cheese. It is believed to have derived from an occupational name for a cheese maker or seller. The earliest known record of this surname dates back to the 13th century in the county of Somerset, England.

In the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which were records of landowners in England, a Richard le Chesemakere was listed in Somerset. This suggests that the name had already established itself as a surname by this point, and the "le" prefix indicated the person's occupation or location.

The Chesson surname is also found in various manorial records and tax rolls from the 14th and 15th centuries in Somerset and neighboring counties like Dorset and Devon. Variations in spelling during this period included Cheson, Chessun, and Chessone.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Chesson, who was born around 1450 in Chilthorne Domer, Somerset. He was mentioned in local parish records as a landowner and farmer.

In the 16th century, the Chesson surname spread to other parts of England, with records showing families in counties like Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. A notable figure from this period was William Chesson (c. 1525-1589), a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol.

During the 17th century, some members of the Chesson family immigrated to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded arrivals was Thomas Chesson, who settled in Virginia in 1635. Another notable Chesson was John Chesson (1648-1720), a Quaker leader and founder of the Chessen Creek Meeting in Maryland.

In the 18th century, the Chesson surname continued to be prominent in parts of England, particularly in Somerset and the surrounding areas. One notable figure was Francis Chesson (1720-1789), a landowner and justice of the peace in Somersetshire.

As the industrial revolution took hold in the 19th century, many Chessons moved to urban areas and became involved in various trades and professions. One example was John Chesson (1818-1894), a successful businessman and philanthropist in Manchester.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chesson

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Chesson.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Chesson was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Chesson has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Chesson was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Chesson, please contact us.

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