2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Chislett
A habitational surname derived from a place name, possibly indicating someone from the settlement Chislett in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Chislett. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chislett 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 Chislett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Chislett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chislett, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chislett
The surname Chislett is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "cis(s)el," meaning small pebble or gravel. It is believed to have originated as a toponymic name, referring to someone who lived near a gravelly area.
The earliest known record of the surname Chislett dates back to the 13th century in Oxfordshire, England. In the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to a William de Chiselhampton, suggesting that the name may have originated from the village of Chiselhampton in that county.
During the medieval period, the name was also found in various spellings, such as Chisilhampton, Chiselhampton, and Chisselton, reflecting the local pronunciation and variations in spelling practices at the time.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Chislett, who was born in Worcestershire in 1587. He was a prominent merchant and served as a alderman in the city of Worcester.
In the 17th century, a notable figure with the surname Chislett was William Chislett (1638-1711), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist from Gloucestershire. He funded the construction of several almshouses and contributed to the building of churches in the region.
During the 18th century, the name was carried by Thomas Chislett (1725-1798), a renowned clockmaker from London. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the British aristocracy and can be found in various museums today.
Another notable bearer of the name was Sir John Chislett (1814-1897), a British military officer who served in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military honor in the British Empire, for his bravery in action.
In the 19th century, the surname Chislett was also associated with the English writer and journalist, Emily Chislett (1839-1912). She was a prominent voice in the women's suffrage movement and wrote extensively on social and political issues of the time.
While the surname Chislett is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of English surnames, carrying with it a history that stretches back centuries and reflects the diverse landscapes and experiences of those who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chislett
Among Census respondents with the surname Chislett, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Chislett 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 Chislett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 5
- Two or more races3.3% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chislett
Chislett 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
#125,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
+25 bearers (+22.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 12,534 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-16 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,027 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #125,282 | 137 | 0.05 | +25 bearers (+22.3%) | Up 12,534 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 16,027 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 Chislett 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 | #125,282 | #141,309 | -12.8% |
| Count | 137 | 121 | -11.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chislett bearers went from 137 to 121 (-11.7% change). The surname moved down 16,027 positions in the national ranking, going from #125,282 to #141,309.
FAQ
Chislett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chislett?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Chislett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Chislett?
Chislett ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Chislett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Chislett.
Has Chislett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chislett went from 137 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 16 (-11.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #125,282 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Chislett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chislett, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Chislett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chislett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Chislett (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 Chislett mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name, possibly indicating someone from the settlement Chislett in England. 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 Chislett (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 many people have the surname Chislett?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.