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

Chewning, 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 Chewning surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chewning in America

Chewning is the 12452nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chewning surname appeared 2,493 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 Chewning.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chewning 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 Chewning

The surname Chewning has its origins in England, specifically in the county of Kent. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cēowan," which means "to chew." The name is thought to have been an occupational surname, originally given to someone who worked as a chewer or masticator, perhaps in a brewery or a bakery.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Chewning dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in the Feet of Fines for Kent in 1292 as "Chewening." This suggests that the name was already in use and established by that time.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Chewynge" and "Chewyngge," further indicating its evolution from the original Old English word. The spelling "Chewning" became more standardized in later centuries.

One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Chewning was John Chewning, who was born in Kent in the late 15th century (around 1480) and served as a member of the English Parliament for the borough of Hythe in 1529.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Chewning family played a significant role in the history of Virginia, USA. Richard Chewning (1584-1645) was one of the early settlers in the Virginia Colony, arriving in 1622. His son, Joseph Chewning (1621-1678), was a prominent landowner and played a crucial role in the development of the colony.

Another notable figure was William Chewning (1657-1727), who served as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, representing James City County, and was involved in the establishment of the College of William and Mary.

In more recent times, Robert Chewning (1919-2005) was a successful businessman and philanthropist from Virginia. He founded the Chewning Realty Corporation and was instrumental in the development of the Chewning Plantation Country Resort and Winery.

Throughout history, the surname Chewning has also been associated with various place names, such as Chewning Farm in Kent, England, and Chewning's Tavern, a historic site in Virginia, USA, which served as a meeting place for various historical figures during the American Revolutionary War.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chewning

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

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

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

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