2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Chilbert
Of unknown meaning and origin, possibly an altered spelling of another surname.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Chilbert. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chilbert 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Chilbert in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chilbert, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chilbert
The surname Chilbert has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cild" meaning child and "beorht" meaning bright or illustrious. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a bright or shining child, perhaps given as a nickname or descriptive name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chilbert can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and inhabitants of England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry lists a person named Chilbertus residing in the county of Warwickshire.
Throughout the Middle Ages, various spellings of the name emerged, such as Chilberd, Chilberte, and Chilbright. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire.
One notable individual bearing the surname Chilbert was Sir John Chilbert (c. 1450-1512), a prominent landowner and knight from Oxfordshire. He served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VII and was known for his involvement in local affairs.
Another individual of note was William Chilbert (c. 1530-1597), a clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1592 to 1597. He played a significant role in the administration and governance of the university during his tenure.
In the 17th century, the name Chilbert appeared in various parish records and legal documents across England. For instance, a Thomas Chilbert (1610-1678) was recorded as a merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol, while a Mary Chilbert (1645-1701) was listed as a prominent philanthropist in the county of Gloucestershire.
Towards the latter part of the 18th century, the Chilbert surname began to spread beyond England, as some families migrated to other parts of the British Empire, including North America and Australia. One notable figure from this period was Captain James Chilbert (1765-1832), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.
Throughout its history, the surname Chilbert has maintained a strong presence, particularly in the counties of its origin. While not an exceedingly common name, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, clergy, merchants, and military personnel.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chilbert
Among Census respondents with the surname Chilbert, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Chilbert 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 Chilbert surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chilbert
Chilbert 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,663 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+9 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,412 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 6,663 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.6%) | Up 8,412 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 Chilbert 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 | #154,907 | #146,495 | 5.4% |
| Count | 105 | 114 | 8.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chilbert bearers went from 105 to 114 (+8.6% change). The surname moved up 8,412 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #146,495.
FAQ
Chilbert surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chilbert?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Chilbert. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Chilbert?
Chilbert ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 114 people with the surname Chilbert. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Chilbert.
Has Chilbert become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chilbert went from 105 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 9 (+8.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Chilbert?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chilbert, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Chilbert in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chilbert appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Hispanic (2.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Chilbert (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 Chilbert mean?
Of unknown meaning and origin, possibly an altered spelling of another surname. 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 Chilbert (0.04 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 common is the surname Chilbert?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Chilbert on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.