2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Chimes
A surname referring to a bell-ringer, likely originating from the Church.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Chimes. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chimes 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 Chimes with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Chimes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chimes, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Two or More Races (6.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chimes
The surname "CHIMES" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be an occupational surname derived from the Old English word "ciman," which means "to ring bells." This suggests that the name was likely first adopted by someone whose occupation involved ringing bells, such as a church bell-ringer or a town crier.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, which mentions a person named "Robert le Chymere." This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.
In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a "William le Chymere." The name was also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a "Roger le Chymere" was recorded.
During the 14th century, the surname continued to appear in various historical documents. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire from 1332 mention a "John Chymere," while the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1334 list a "William Chymere."
One notable figure with this surname was Sir Edward Chymes (1482-1542), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1534. Another prominent individual was John Chymes (1518-1584), an English clergyman and academic who became the President of St John's College, Oxford, in 1573.
In the 16th century, the surname was sometimes associated with certain place names. For instance, the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1523 record a "Ralph Chymes de Brynshawe," suggesting a connection to the town of Brinshaw.
Other notable individuals with the surname "CHIMES" include Richard Chymes (1566-1635), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire, and Sir George Chymes (1594-1668), a English lawyer and Member of Parliament for Warwickshire.
Throughout the centuries, the spelling of the surname has evolved, with variations such as "Chymere," "Chymmes," and "Chymes" appearing in historical records before the modern spelling "CHIMES" became more prevalent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chimes
Among Census respondents with the surname Chimes, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Two or More Races (6.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Chimes 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 Chimes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.2% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino7.7% · 9
- Two or more races6.0% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chimes
Chimes 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-11 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,550 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+6 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,077 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 19,550 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.4%) | Up 4,077 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 Chimes 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 | #148,347 | #144,270 | 2.7% |
| Count | 111 | 117 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chimes bearers went from 111 to 117 (+5.4% change). The surname moved up 4,077 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #144,270.
FAQ
Chimes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chimes?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Chimes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Chimes?
Chimes ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Chimes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Chimes.
Has Chimes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chimes went from 111 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 6 (+5.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Chimes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chimes, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Two or More Races (6.0%). 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 Chimes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.2% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chimes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.2%), Hispanic (7.7%), Two or More Races (6.0%). 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 Chimes (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 Chimes mean?
A surname referring to a bell-ringer, likely originating from the Church. 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 Chimes (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 Chimes?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Chimes on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.