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

Chew, 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 Chew surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chew in America

Chew is the 3988th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chew surname appeared 8,905 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Chew.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chew 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 Chew

The surname Chew is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "ceow," which means "jaw" or "chew." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person with a prominent or distinctive jaw.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chew can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "William Cheoue." This document, compiled during the reign of King Edward I, served as a survey of landowners and their holdings.

In the 14th century, the name Chew appeared in various forms, such as "Chewe" and "Chue," in various records and documents across England. For instance, the "Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem" from 1365 mentions a "John Chewe" from Oxfordshire.

The Domesday Book, a remarkable survey of landowners and their estates commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not explicitly mention the surname Chew. However, it does record several place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as Chew Magna and Chew Stoke in Somerset.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Chew was Sir John Chew (c. 1520-1586), a member of Parliament and Sheriff of Somerset during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Samuel Chew (1693-1744), a prominent lawyer and judge in colonial Pennsylvania.

In the 18th century, Benjamin Chew (1722-1810) was a notable American lawyer, judge, and chief justice of Pennsylvania. He was also a close friend and confidant of George Washington.

Moving forward, Henry Chew (1808-1894) was a prominent English businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Nottingham.

Lastly, Oswald Chew (1892-1967) was a distinguished British naval officer who served during World War I and World War II, rising to the rank of Admiral.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Chew throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields and professions across different eras and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chew

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

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 Chew 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 Chew 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 Chew was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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