2000
#5,093
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,324
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.34
Rare Last name
Chitwood
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "the wood frequented by kites (birds of prey)."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,709 Americans carry the last name Chitwood. That puts it at #5,711 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,089 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chitwood 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.
Bearers in the US
6.7K
1 in 51,089
Census rank
#5,711
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,851 bearers of the surname Chitwood in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5711th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chitwood, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chitwood
The surname Chitwood has its roots in the English counties of Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "cyte" meaning a small cottage or hut, and "wudu" meaning a wood or forest. This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived in a small dwelling located in a wooded area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where it is listed as "Richard de Chytewode". This spelling variation highlights how surnames evolved over time, often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of those recording the names.
In the late 14th century, the name can be found in the Court Rolls of Gloucestershire, where a certain "John Chytewode" is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Naunton. This provides evidence of the name's association with the local gentry and landholding class during that period.
During the 16th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of England. In 1567, a record from the Parish Registers of Northamptonshire mentions the marriage of "Thomas Chitwood" and "Agnes Butler". This suggests that the spelling had evolved closer to its modern form by that time.
One notable figure bearing the name was William Chitwood (1592-1668), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Archdeacon of Middlesex in the Church of England. He was known for his contributions to theological writings and his involvement in the religious debates of the time.
Another individual of note was John Chitwood (1701-1776), a British naval officer who served during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. He achieved the rank of Rear Admiral and was commended for his bravery and leadership in several major naval engagements.
In the 19th century, the name gained prominence in the United States, where it was carried by several prominent figures. One such individual was Samuel Chitwood (1837-1915), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War who received the Medal of Honor for his gallantry in the Battle of Fredericksburg.
Robert Chitwood (1859-1934) was an American businessman and entrepreneur who established one of the first successful automobile manufacturing companies in the early 20th century. His company, the Chitwood Motor Car Company, produced high-quality vehicles that were popular among the wealthy and influential of the time.
It is worth noting that while the surname Chitwood has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and other English-speaking regions, thanks to migration and the dispersal of families over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chitwood
Among Census respondents with the surname Chitwood, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Chitwood 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 Chitwood surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 5,363
- Two or more races3.9% · 226
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 162
- Black or African American0.7% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chitwood
Chitwood 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
#5,386
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,461
+137 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 2.19
Rank movement Down 293 places
2020
#5,711
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,851
-610 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 1.96
Rank movement Down 325 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,093 | 6,324 | 2.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,386 | 6,461 | 2.19 | +137 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 293 places |
| 2020 | #5,711 | 5,851 | 1.96 | -610 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 325 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 Chitwood 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 | #5,386 | #5,711 | -6.0% |
| Count | 6,461 | 5,851 | -9.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.19 | 1.96 | -10.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chitwood bearers went from 6,461 to 5,851 (-9.4% change). The surname moved down 325 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,386 to #5,711.
FAQ
Chitwood surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chitwood?
Name Census estimates that about 6,709 living Americans carry the surname Chitwood. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,089 residents.
How common is Chitwood?
Chitwood ranks #5,711 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.96 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 5,851 people with the surname Chitwood. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,709), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.96 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 Chitwood.
Has Chitwood become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chitwood went from 6,461 recorded bearers to 5,851. That is a decrease of 610 (-9.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,386 to #5,711.
What does the Census say about the background of Chitwood?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chitwood, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Chitwood in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (5,363 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chitwood appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Chitwood (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 Chitwood mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "the wood frequented by kites (birds of prey)." 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 Chitwood (1.96 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 last name Chitwood?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Chitwood on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.