2000
#10,097
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,943
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.09
Rare Last name
Chilson
A patronymic surname derived from a medieval diminutive of the given name Giles, meaning "son of little Giles."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,393 Americans carry the last name Chilson. That puts it at #10,349 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 101,018 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chilson 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Chilson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 101,018
Census rank
#10,349
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,959 bearers of the surname Chilson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10349th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chilson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chilson
The surname Chilson is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is believed to have originated in the county of Lincolnshire, derived from a combination of the Old English words "cild" meaning "child" and "tun" meaning "town" or "settlement." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a place where children resided or a location associated with a particular family or group of children.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Childeston" and "Cildestune," referring to settlements in Lincolnshire. This historical record provides valuable insight into the name's evolution and its connection to specific regions of England.
Over the centuries, the surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Chilson, Chillesun, Childson, and Chillson, reflecting the inconsistencies in written records and regional dialects of the time.
Notable individuals bearing the Chilson surname include:
1. William Chilson (c. 1590-1660), a prominent landowner and merchant in colonial Massachusetts, who was among the early settlers of New England.
2. John Chilson (1716-1795), an American Revolutionary War soldier who fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill and later became a respected farmer in Connecticut.
3. Mary Chilson (1812-1890), a pioneer and educator who established one of the first schools in the Oregon Territory, contributing significantly to the education of early settlers.
4. Edward Chilson (1836-1912), a successful businessman and philanthropist from New York, known for his generous support of educational institutions and charitable organizations.
5. Samuel Chilson (1867-1944), a renowned architect and civil engineer, responsible for designing numerous iconic buildings and infrastructure projects across the United States.
Throughout its history, the Chilson surname has been linked to various locations and place names, reflecting the migrations and settlements of families bearing this name. For example, the town of Chilson, Michigan, was named after an early settler with the Chilson surname, while Chilson Hill in Vermont is derived from a similar source.
The surname Chilson has a rich and diverse history, spanning centuries and continents, with its roots firmly planted in the English countryside. Despite its various spellings and geographical dispersions, the name has maintained a strong presence throughout the ages, serving as a testament to the resilience and adaptability of families who have carried it forward.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chilson
Among Census respondents with the surname Chilson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Chilson 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 Chilson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 2,667
- Two or more races3.7% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 108
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 31
- Black or African American0.7% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chilson
Chilson 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
#10,265
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,140
+197 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 168 places
2020
#10,349
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,959
-181 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 84 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,097 | 2,943 | 1.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,265 | 3,140 | 1.06 | +197 bearers (+6.7%) | Down 168 places |
| 2020 | #10,349 | 2,959 | 0.99 | -181 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 84 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 Chilson 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 | #10,265 | #10,349 | -0.8% |
| Count | 3,140 | 2,959 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.06 | 0.99 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chilson bearers went from 3,140 to 2,959 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 84 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,265 to #10,349.
FAQ
Chilson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chilson?
Name Census estimates that about 3,393 living Americans carry the surname Chilson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 101,018 residents.
How common is Chilson?
Chilson ranks #10,349 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 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 2,959 people with the surname Chilson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,393), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 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 Chilson.
Has Chilson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chilson went from 3,140 recorded bearers to 2,959. That is a decrease of 181 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,265 to #10,349.
What does the Census say about the background of Chilson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chilson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Chilson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (2,667 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chilson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Chilson (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 Chilson mean?
A patronymic surname derived from a medieval diminutive of the given name Giles, meaning "son of little Giles." 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 Chilson (0.99 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 Americans have the surname Chilson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.