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

Chinn, 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 Chinn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chinn in America

Chinn is the 5601st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chinn surname appeared 6,211 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Chinn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chinn 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 Chinn

The surname Chinn is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is derived from the Old English word "ċinn," which means "chin" or "jaw." It is believed to have originated as a nickname for someone with a prominent chin or jawline.

The earliest recorded instance of the Chinn surname dates back to the late 12th century in the county of Sussex, England. The Chinn family can be traced to the village of Chynhult, which is mentioned in the Domesday Book, a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Chynne, Chynholt, and Chinnok, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that period. The Chinn family later spread to other parts of England, including Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Chinn was Ralph Chynn, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1268. Another notable bearer of the name was John Chinn, a wealthy merchant from London, who lived in the late 14th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Chinn surname became more widespread, and several members of the family achieved prominence. Sir Henry Chinn (1562-1627) was a successful merchant and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1624. Thomas Chinn (1605-1677) was a Puritan minister and author who published several religious works.

Another notable figure was Sir John Chinn (1709-1790), a British naval officer who served with distinction during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. He was knighted for his service in 1779.

In the 19th century, Edward Chinn (1803-1879) was a prominent British industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Chinn Mineral Water Company in Harborne, Birmingham. His son, William Chinn (1846-1926), continued the family business and became a successful philanthropist.

While the Chinn surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, carried by immigrants and their descendants.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chinn

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

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

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

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