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

Chim, 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 Chim surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chim in America

Chim is the 27376th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chim surname appeared 882 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 Chim.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chim 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 Chim

The surname CHIM originated in the region of Champagne in northeastern France during the early medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "chien," meaning dog, which may have been used as a nickname or descriptive name for someone with a particular physical or personality trait resembling that of a dog.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name CHIM can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Pierre le Vif, a medieval cartulary from the 12th century, where it appears as "Chien." This suggests that the name had already been in use for some time before its appearance in written records.

In the 13th century, the surname CHIM appeared in various forms, such as "Chym" and "Chyme," in the records of the Duchy of Burgundy, which included parts of the Champagne region. These variations likely arose due to regional differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions.

During the 14th century, the surname CHIM began to spread beyond the Champagne region, with records showing individuals bearing the name in other parts of France, as well as in neighboring regions of modern-day Belgium and Switzerland.

One notable individual with the surname CHIM was Jean Chim, a French merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Troyes in the late 15th century. Historical records indicate that he was involved in the local wool trade and owned several properties in the area.

In the 16th century, the surname CHIM gained further prominence with the birth of Claude Chim (1508-1578), a French jurist and legal scholar who served as a magistrate in the Parlement of Paris. His writings on legal matters were widely influential during his time.

Another notable figure was Jacques Chim (1592-1656), a French philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Paris. His works focused on the reconciliation of religious faith and philosophical reason, and he was widely respected by his contemporaries.

During the 17th century, the surname CHIM appeared in various parts of Europe, including the Netherlands, where Willem Chim (1630-1692) was a prominent merchant and shipowner based in Amsterdam. He played a significant role in the Dutch East India Company's trade with the East Indies.

In the 18th century, the CHIM surname found its way to the Americas, with records showing individuals bearing the name in French colonies such as Quebec and Louisiana. One notable figure was Pierre Chim (1745-1821), a French-Canadian explorer and fur trader who was instrumental in establishing trade routes and settlements in the Canadian West.

Throughout its history, the surname CHIM has been associated with various professions, including merchants, scholars, lawyers, and explorers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who have borne this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chim

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

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

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

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