2000
#6,588
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,744
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.76
Rare Last name
Chipman
An occupational surname referring to a merchant or trader, derived from the Middle English word "chapman."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,382 Americans carry the last name Chipman. That puts it at #6,897 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 63,685 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chipman 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 Chipman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.4K
1 in 63,685
Census rank
#6,897
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,693 bearers of the surname Chipman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6897th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chipman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chipman
The surname Chipman has its roots in England, originating in the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "chepen" or "chepe," meaning a market or marketplace. This suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals involved in trade or commerce within a market town.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Chipman can be traced back to the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I. These rolls mentioned individuals with variations of the name, such as "de Chepman" and "atte Chepman."
In the 15th century, the surname appeared in various historical records, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1662-1666. These rolls documented households and their associated tax payments, providing valuable insights into the distribution of the Chipman name across different regions of England.
One notable historical figure bearing the Chipman surname was John Chipman (c. 1612-1708), an early English settler who arrived in America in 1630. He played a significant role in the establishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and served as a deputy to the General Court of Massachusetts.
Another prominent individual was Richard Chipman (1677-1765), a British naval officer and cartographer. He is known for his contributions to the mapping of the Caribbean region and the production of detailed nautical charts during the 18th century.
In the 19th century, George Chipman (1818-1893) gained recognition as a prominent Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and played an influential role in the legal and political spheres of his time.
Mary Chipman (1854-1934), born in England, was a notable educator and advocate for women's rights. She established the Chipman School for Girls in Northampton, Massachusetts, and actively campaigned for equal educational opportunities for women.
Another noteworthy figure was Thomas Chipman (1781-1853), an American lawyer and politician from Vermont. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives and played a crucial role in the state's legal and political landscape during the early 19th century.
Throughout its history, the surname Chipman has been associated with various localities and place names, such as Chipman Hills in Devon, England, and the town of Chipman, New Brunswick, Canada, which was named after the Chipman family who settled in the area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chipman
Among Census respondents with the surname Chipman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Chipman 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 Chipman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 4,214
- Two or more races3.4% · 158
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 150
- Black or African American2.4% · 113
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chipman
Chipman 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
#6,866
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,899
+155 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.66
Rank movement Down 278 places
2020
#6,897
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,693
-206 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.57
Rank movement Down 31 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,588 | 4,744 | 1.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,866 | 4,899 | 1.66 | +155 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 278 places |
| 2020 | #6,897 | 4,693 | 1.57 | -206 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 31 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 Chipman 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 | #6,866 | #6,897 | -0.5% |
| Count | 4,899 | 4,693 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.66 | 1.57 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chipman bearers went from 4,899 to 4,693 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 31 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,866 to #6,897.
FAQ
Chipman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chipman?
Name Census estimates that about 5,382 living Americans carry the surname Chipman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 63,685 residents.
How common is Chipman?
Chipman ranks #6,897 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,693 people with the surname Chipman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,382), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.57 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Chipman.
Has Chipman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chipman went from 4,899 recorded bearers to 4,693. That is a decrease of 206 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,866 to #6,897.
What does the Census say about the background of Chipman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chipman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Chipman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (4,214 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chipman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Chipman (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 Chipman mean?
An occupational surname referring to a merchant or trader, derived from the Middle English word "chapman." 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 Chipman (1.57 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 Chipman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.