2000
#11,287
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,570
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.95
Rare Last name
Chewning
Derived from a place name meaning "dwelling by the hollow," or from the Old English given name Ciwinne.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,745 Americans carry the last name Chewning. That puts it at #12,391 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 124,865 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chewning 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
2.7K
1 in 124,865
Census rank
#12,391
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,394 bearers of the surname Chewning in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12391st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chewning, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Black (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chewning
Among Census respondents with the surname Chewning, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Black (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Chewning 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 Chewning surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 2,196
- Two or more races2.8% · 66
- Black or African American2.6% · 62
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chewning
Chewning 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
#12,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,493
-77 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 1,165 places
2020
#12,391
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,394
-99 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Up 61 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,287 | 2,570 | 0.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,452 | 2,493 | 0.85 | -77 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 1,165 places |
| 2020 | #12,391 | 2,394 | 0.80 | -99 bearers (-4.0%) | Up 61 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 Chewning 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 | #12,452 | #12,391 | 0.5% |
| Count | 2,493 | 2,394 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.80 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chewning bearers went from 2,493 to 2,394 (-4.0% change). The surname moved up 61 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,452 to #12,391.
FAQ
Chewning surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chewning?
Name Census estimates that about 2,745 living Americans carry the surname Chewning. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 124,865 residents.
How common is Chewning?
Chewning ranks #12,391 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 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 2,394 people with the surname Chewning. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,745), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 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 Chewning.
Has Chewning become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chewning went from 2,493 recorded bearers to 2,394. That is a decrease of 99 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,452 to #12,391.
What does the Census say about the background of Chewning?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chewning, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Black (2.6%). 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 Chewning in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (2,196 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chewning appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Black (2.6%). 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 Chewning (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 Chewning mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "dwelling by the hollow," or from the Old English given name Ciwinne. 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 Chewning (0.80 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 have the last name Chewning?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Chewning is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.