2000
#9,550
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Chronister
A surname derived from the Old English word "crouner," meaning a coroner or officer responsible for investigating deaths.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,429 Americans carry the last name Chronister. That puts it at #10,255 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,958 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chronister 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
3.4K
1 in 99,958
Census rank
#10,255
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,990 bearers of the surname Chronister in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10255th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chronister, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chronister
The surname Chronister is believed to have originated in Germany, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Chronik," meaning "chronicle" or "record." This suggests that the name may have been associated with someone who kept records or chronicles, possibly a scribe or historian.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chronister can be found in a 16th-century manuscript from the town of Heidelberg, where a certain Johann Chronister is mentioned as a local resident. This document provides valuable insight into the early use and spread of the name within the German region.
As the name spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Kronister, Cronister, and Cronester. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during that time.
In the 17th century, the Chronister surname made its way to the British Isles, where it was anglicized to fit the local pronunciation and spelling conventions. This migration of the name coincided with the broader movement of German settlers seeking new opportunities in England and its colonies.
Notable individuals bearing the Chronister surname include Heinrich Chronister (1598-1672), a German theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious topics. Another prominent figure was Wilhelm Chronister (1725-1803), a renowned German architect known for his work on several churches and public buildings in the Rhineland region.
As the Chronister name spread across Europe and beyond, it also found its way to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was that of Johannes Chronister, who arrived in Pennsylvania from Germany in the early 18th century. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the United States, contributing to the country's rich cultural tapestry.
Other notable individuals with the Chronister surname include Sarah Chronister (1838-1923), an American educator and advocate for women's rights, and Thomas Chronister (1872-1945), a successful businessman and philanthropist who played a significant role in the development of his local community.
The Chronister name continues to hold a place in history, reflecting the diverse experiences and contributions of those who bore it across generations and continents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chronister
Among Census respondents with the surname Chronister, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Chronister 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 Chronister surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 2,725
- Two or more races3.5% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 93
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 21
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chronister
Chronister 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
#10,050
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,205
+82 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 500 places
2020
#10,255
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,990
-215 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 205 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,550 | 3,123 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,050 | 3,205 | 1.09 | +82 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 500 places |
| 2020 | #10,255 | 2,990 | 1.00 | -215 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 205 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 Chronister 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 | #10,050 | #10,255 | -2.0% |
| Count | 3,205 | 2,990 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.09 | 1.00 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chronister bearers went from 3,205 to 2,990 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 205 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,050 to #10,255.
FAQ
Chronister surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chronister?
Name Census estimates that about 3,429 living Americans carry the surname Chronister. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,958 residents.
How common is Chronister?
Chronister ranks #10,255 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,990 people with the surname Chronister. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,429), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Chronister.
Has Chronister become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chronister went from 3,205 recorded bearers to 2,990. That is a decrease of 215 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,050 to #10,255.
What does the Census say about the background of Chronister?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chronister, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Chronister in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (2,725 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chronister appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Chronister (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 Chronister mean?
A surname derived from the Old English word "crouner," meaning a coroner or officer responsible for investigating deaths. 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 Chronister (1.00 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 Chronister?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Chronister, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.