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

Chey, 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 Chey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chey in America

Chey is the 55255th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chey surname appeared 372 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Chey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chey 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 Chey

The surname CHEY is believed to have originated from the French region of Normandy during the Middle Ages. It is thought to have derived from the Old French word "chei," which means "fallen" or "sloping," potentially referring to a geographical feature or location where the family may have resided or originated from.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name CHEY can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Chei" in this historical document, indicating its presence in Norman England during that era.

In the 12th century, a notable figure bearing the name CHEY was Sir Robert Chey, a knight who participated in the Third Crusade under King Richard I. He was recorded as being present at the siege of Acre in 1191, where he distinguished himself in battle.

During the 13th century, the surname CHEY can be found in various medieval records and charters from the region of Normandy. One such example is Geoffroy Chey, who was listed as a landowner in the village of Sainte-Mère-Église in the year 1268.

In the 14th century, a prominent individual with the surname CHEY was Jeanne Chey, a noblewoman who served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Philippa of Hainault, wife of King Edward III of England. Jeanne Chey was born around 1310 and is mentioned in court records from the period.

Another historical figure bearing the name CHEY was Jean Chey, a French nobleman and military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War. He was born around 1380 and served under King Charles VI of France, participating in several battles against the English forces.

Throughout the centuries, the surname CHEY has been associated with various locations and place names, such as the village of Chey in Normandy, as well as the Chey River and the Chey Forest, both located in the same region. These place names may have influenced the development and spelling variations of the surname over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chey

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

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

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

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