2000
#10,615
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,770
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.03
Rare Last name
Chidester
An English occupational surname referring to a cider maker or seller.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,123 Americans carry the last name Chidester. That puts it at #11,119 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 109,752 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chidester 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
3.1K
1 in 109,752
Census rank
#11,119
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,723 bearers of the surname Chidester in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11119th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chidester, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chidester
The surname Chidester is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place name, possibly a town or village where the earliest bearers of the name resided.
One theory suggests that the name Chidester is derived from the Old English words "cide" meaning "chiding" or "reproving," and "ster," a common suffix used to denote a place or locality. This could indicate that the name originated from a place known for its inhabitants' tendency to chide or reprimand others.
Another possibility is that the name is a variation of the place name "Chiddingstone," a village located in Kent, England. This village's name is derived from the Old English words "cidd" meaning "kid" or "young goat," and "ing" meaning "belonging to." The suffix "stone" was later added, suggesting a connection to a prominent rock or stone in the area.
While there are no definitive records of the name appearing in ancient manuscripts like the Domesday Book, some of the earliest known references to the name can be found in various parish records and tax rolls from the 16th and 17th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Chidester was Robert Chidester, who was born in England around 1590. Another notable bearer of the name was William Chidester, born in 1620 in Gloucestershire, England, who later emigrated to the American colonies in the mid-17th century.
In the United States, the name Chidester gained prominence in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. John Chidester (1756-1832), a Revolutionary War soldier from New Jersey, and his son, Alpheus Chidester (1790-1868), a prominent farmer and landowner in Ohio, were both influential figures in their respective communities.
Another notable individual was James Chidester (1812-1895), a lawyer and politician from Ohio, who served as a member of the Ohio State Senate in the 1860s.
Throughout history, the Chidester surname has been associated with various notable individuals in fields such as law, politics, and military service, among others. While the exact origin and meaning of the name may remain uncertain, its enduring presence across centuries and continents is a testament to its rich and diverse heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chidester
Among Census respondents with the surname Chidester, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Chidester 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 Chidester surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 2,477
- Two or more races3.7% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 81
- Black or African American1.0% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chidester
Chidester 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
#10,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,979
+209 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 109 places
2020
#11,119
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,723
-256 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 395 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,615 | 2,770 | 1.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,724 | 2,979 | 1.01 | +209 bearers (+7.5%) | Down 109 places |
| 2020 | #11,119 | 2,723 | 0.91 | -256 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 395 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 Chidester 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 | #10,724 | #11,119 | -3.7% |
| Count | 2,979 | 2,723 | -8.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.01 | 0.91 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chidester bearers went from 2,979 to 2,723 (-8.6% change). The surname moved down 395 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,724 to #11,119.
FAQ
Chidester surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chidester?
Name Census estimates that about 3,123 living Americans carry the surname Chidester. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 109,752 residents.
How common is Chidester?
Chidester ranks #11,119 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 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 2,723 people with the surname Chidester. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 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 Chidester.
Has Chidester become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chidester went from 2,979 recorded bearers to 2,723. That is a decrease of 256 (-8.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,724 to #11,119.
What does the Census say about the background of Chidester?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chidester, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Chidester in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (2,477 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chidester appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Chidester (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 Chidester mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a cider maker or seller. 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 Chidester (0.91 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 Chidester?
You can see how many people have the last name Chidester on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.