2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Chizer
A variant spelling of the surname derived from the Persian name Khizr.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Chizer. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chizer 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Chizer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chizer, the largest self-reported group is Black at 66.1%. The next largest groups are White (18.3%) and Hispanic (8.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chizer
The surname CHIZER is believed to have originated in the region of Normandy in northern France during the early medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "chizer," which means "to whittle" or "to carve wood." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked as a woodcarver or whittler.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Cizor," which is likely an early spelling variation of CHIZER.
In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Robert CHIZER was documented as a landowner in the village of Chizerville, located in the Normandy region of France. This place name may have contributed to the evolution of the surname.
During the 15th century, a notable individual named Jacques CHIZER (1420-1498) gained recognition as a skilled woodcarver and sculptor in the city of Rouen, France. His intricate carvings adorned several churches and cathedrals in the region.
In the 16th century, records indicate that a family bearing the name CHIZER emigrated from Normandy to England, where they settled in the county of Yorkshire. One member of this family, William CHIZER (1560-1632), was a respected carpenter and furniture maker in the city of York.
Another notable figure with the surname CHIZER was Jean-Baptiste CHIZER (1670-1745), a French architect and engineer who was responsible for designing several notable buildings and fortifications in the city of Paris during the reign of Louis XIV.
Throughout history, the surname CHIZER has been associated with various occupations related to woodworking, carpentry, and craftsmanship, reflecting its potential origins as a trade or occupational name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chizer
Among Census respondents with the surname Chizer, the largest self-reported group is Black at 66.1%. The next largest groups are White (18.3%) and Hispanic (8.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Chizer 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 Chizer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American66.1% · 72
- White18.3% · 20
- Hispanic or Latino8.3% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.5% · 6
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chizer
Chizer 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,141 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-13 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,878 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 10,141 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 12,878 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 Chizer 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 | #137,327 | #150,205 | -9.4% |
| Count | 122 | 109 | -10.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chizer bearers went from 122 to 109 (-10.7% change). The surname moved down 12,878 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #150,205.
FAQ
Chizer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chizer?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Chizer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Chizer?
Chizer ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Chizer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Chizer.
Has Chizer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chizer went from 122 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Chizer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chizer, the largest self-reported group is Black at 66.1%. The next largest groups are White (18.3%) and Hispanic (8.3%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Chizer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.1% (72 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chizer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (66.1%), White (18.3%), Hispanic (8.3%). 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 Chizer (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 Chizer mean?
A variant spelling of the surname derived from the Persian name Khizr. 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 Chizer (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 last name Chizer?
You can see how common the surname Chizer is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.