2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Chorbajian
Of Armenian origin, meaning someone from the village of Chorbaji.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Chorbajian. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chorbajian 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Chorbajian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chorbajian, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chorbajian
The surname Chorbajian has its origins in Armenia, a country located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, between the 5th and 15th centuries AD, when Armenian culture and language flourished under various ruling dynasties.
Chorbajian is derived from the Armenian word "chorba," which means "soup" or "stew," and the suffix "-jian," indicating a profession or occupation. This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with individuals involved in the preparation or selling of soups and stews, possibly as cooks, innkeepers, or vendors.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 13th-century Armenian manuscript "Ganjaran," which mentions a certain Chorbajian family residing in the city of Ani, an ancient Armenian capital known for its historical and architectural significance.
In the 16th century, the Chorbajian name appears in the records of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the Ottoman Empire, specifically in the city of Istanbul (formerly Constantinople). A prominent figure bearing this name was Hakob Chorbajian, a wealthy merchant and benefactor who lived from 1540 to 1612.
Another notable individual was Khachatur Chorbajian, a renowned Armenian calligrapher and manuscript illuminator who lived in the 17th century. His exquisite works can be found in various monastic libraries and museums, including the Matenadaran, the repository of ancient manuscripts in Yerevan, Armenia.
During the 19th century, the Chorbajian name gained recognition through the literary works of Hagop Chorbajian (1824-1897), a celebrated Armenian writer, poet, and educator. His contributions to Armenian literature and education were significant, and he is considered a pioneer of the modern Armenian literary movement.
The name Chorbajian can also be traced to several villages and towns in historic Armenia, such as Chorbajan (now Chorbaji) in the Aragatsotn Province and Chorbakhpur (now Chorbaji) in the Armavir Province. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Throughout history, the Chorbajian surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergy, artists, intellectuals, and merchants. While the name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation, its Armenian roots and connections to culinary traditions and occupations remain a significant part of its historical heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chorbajian
Among Census respondents with the surname Chorbajian, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Chorbajian 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 Chorbajian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 109
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chorbajian
Chorbajian 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
#126,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
+18 bearers (+15.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 6,349 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-19 bearers (-14.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,263 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,765 | 135 | 0.05 | +18 bearers (+15.4%) | Up 6,349 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.1%) | Down 18,263 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 Chorbajian 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 | #126,765 | #145,028 | -14.4% |
| Count | 135 | 116 | -14.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -22.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chorbajian bearers went from 135 to 116 (-14.1% change). The surname moved down 18,263 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,765 to #145,028.
FAQ
Chorbajian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chorbajian?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Chorbajian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Chorbajian?
Chorbajian ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Chorbajian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Chorbajian.
Has Chorbajian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chorbajian went from 135 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 19 (-14.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,765 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Chorbajian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chorbajian, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Chorbajian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chorbajian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Chorbajian (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 Chorbajian mean?
Of Armenian origin, meaning someone from the village of Chorbaji. 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 Chorbajian (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 are called Chorbajian?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Chorbajian, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.