2000
#19,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,253
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.46
Rare Last name
Chevez
A Spanish surname derived from the term "cheve" meaning a newborn goat or kid.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,461 Americans carry the last name Chevez. That puts it at #13,541 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 139,274 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chevez 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
2.5K
1 in 139,274
Census rank
#13,541
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,146 bearers of the surname Chevez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13541st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chevez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chevez
The surname Chevez has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "chivo," meaning goat, and likely originated as a descriptive surname for someone who worked with or raised goats. The earliest known spelling variation was "Chivez."
During the 12th century, the name appeared in various historical records, including the Cartulario de Eslonza, a compilation of documents from the Monastery of San Pedro de Eslonza in the Kingdom of León. This suggests that the name was present in the regions of northern Spain during that time.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Juan Chivez, a farmer from the village of Villafranca del Bierzo in the province of León, who lived in the late 13th century. Another notable individual was Pedro Chevez, a merchant from Seville who was mentioned in the city's trade records in the early 15th century.
As the Spanish Empire expanded across the Americas in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Chevez surname spread to various territories, including Mexico and parts of South America. One prominent figure was Diego Chevez de Alvarado, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Guatemala in the 1520s and later served as a colonial administrator.
In the 18th century, the surname appears to have undergone a slight variation, with some records indicating the spelling "Chávez." This spelling became more common in later centuries. One notable bearer of this spelling was José María Chávez, a Mexican military officer and politician who served as the Governor of Chihuahua in the late 19th century (1885-1892).
Another individual of historical significance was Mariano Chávez, a New Mexican military leader and politician who played a crucial role in the resistance against the Texas-Santa Fe Expedition in 1841. He later served as the Governor of the Santa Fe de Nuevo México territory from 1833 to 1835.
Despite its Spanish origins, the Chevez surname can also be found in other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange over the centuries. For example, there are records of individuals with this surname in parts of the Philippines, reflecting the Spanish colonial influence in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chevez
Among Census respondents with the surname Chevez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Chevez 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 Chevez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.6% · 2,031
- White3.4% · 74
- Black or African American0.9% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
- Two or more races0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chevez
Chevez 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
#15,625
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,870
+617 bearers (+49.2%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 4,227 places
2020
#13,541
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,146
+276 bearers (+14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 2,084 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,852 | 1,253 | 0.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,625 | 1,870 | 0.63 | +617 bearers (+49.2%) | Up 4,227 places |
| 2020 | #13,541 | 2,146 | 0.72 | +276 bearers (+14.8%) | Up 2,084 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 Chevez 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 | #15,625 | #13,541 | 13.3% |
| Count | 1,870 | 2,146 | 14.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.72 | 14.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chevez bearers went from 1,870 to 2,146 (+14.8% change). The surname moved up 2,084 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,625 to #13,541.
FAQ
Chevez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chevez?
Name Census estimates that about 2,461 living Americans carry the surname Chevez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 139,274 residents.
How common is Chevez?
Chevez ranks #13,541 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 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 2,146 people with the surname Chevez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,461), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 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 Chevez.
Has Chevez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chevez went from 1,870 recorded bearers to 2,146. That is an increase of 276 (+14.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,625 to #13,541.
What does the Census say about the background of Chevez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chevez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Black (0.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Chevez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (2,031 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chevez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.6%), White (3.4%), Black (0.9%). 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 Chevez (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 Chevez mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the term "cheve" meaning a newborn goat or kid. 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 Chevez (0.72 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 Chevez?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Chevez at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.