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

Chief, 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 Chief surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chief in America

Chief is the 76275th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chief surname appeared 252 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 Chief.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chief 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 Chief

The surname CHIEF originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "chef", meaning "head" or "leader". This word traces its origins back to the Latin word "caput", also meaning "head".

In its earliest form, the name CHIEF was likely used as a descriptive surname, given to someone who held a position of authority or leadership within their community. It may have been bestowed upon a village headman, a military commander, or a prominent figure in local government.

One of the earliest known records of the surname CHIEF can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like survey of landholders in England. Here, the name is recorded as "Le Chevere", a variant spelling reflecting its French roots.

During the 14th century, the surname CHIEF began to appear in various historical documents and records across England. For instance, in the Poll Tax Returns of 1379, a John le Chyef is listed as a resident of Yorkshire.

Notable individuals bearing the surname CHIEF include Sir John Chief (1350-1412), a prominent English knight and landowner who served under King Richard II. Another was William Chief (1426-1480), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the city of London.

In the 16th century, the surname CHIEF can be found in the parish records of several English counties, such as Suffolk and Gloucestershire. One example is Thomas Chief, born in 1521 in the village of Rendlesham, Suffolk.

As the surname continued to evolve, it took on various spellings like Chiefe, Chefe, and Chyfe, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation during that period.

Other notable individuals with the surname CHIEF include Sir Edward Chief (1619-1678), a prominent English lawyer and judge during the reign of King Charles II, and Captain James Chief (1742-1820), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War.

By the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname CHIEF had become well-established across England, particularly in regions like the West Midlands, East Anglia, and the South East. It was also during this time that the modern spelling of CHIEF became more standardized.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chief

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

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

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

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