2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Chumas
A variant spelling of the Spanish surname Chumas or Chumacero, meaning a maker of chumaces (straw sandals).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Chumas. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chumas 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Chumas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chumas, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chumas
The surname Chumas has its roots in the Czech Republic, originating in the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Czech word "chum," meaning a herdsman or shepherd. This suggests that the name's earliest bearers were likely involved in pastoral occupations or lived in rural areas where livestock farming was prevalent.
One of the earliest documented references to the Chumas surname can be found in the Liber Viridis, a medieval manuscript from the Czech lands, dating back to the late 1300s. This record mentions a certain Mikuláš Chumas, a landowner in the village of Velká Bíteš.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in the town records of Brno, where a merchant named Jan Chumas was listed as a member of the local guild. This indicates that by that time, some Chumas families had established themselves in urban centers and were engaged in trade.
The Chumas surname can also be traced back to the village of Chuměř, located in the Hradec Králové region of Bohemia. It is possible that the name originated as a locational surname, referring to individuals who hailed from this particular settlement.
One of the earliest notable figures bearing the Chumas name was Jaromír Chumas, a Catholic priest and scholar who lived in the late 16th century. He is known for his contributions to the translation of the Bible into the Czech language.
In the 17th century, the Chumas family produced several military officers who served in the armies of the Holy Roman Empire. Notable among them was Václav Chumas, a cavalry captain who fought in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648).
During the 18th century, a branch of the Chumas family settled in the town of Kutná Hora, where they became prominent metalworkers and artisans. One of the most renowned members of this lineage was Josef Chumas (1725-1797), a skilled silversmith whose works can still be found in some of the region's churches and museums.
Another notable bearer of the Chumas name was Antonín Chumas (1818-1891), a renowned Czech physician and botanist. He made significant contributions to the study of medicinal plants native to the Czech lands and was a respected member of the scientific community in Prague.
As the centuries passed, the Chumas surname spread across various regions of the Czech Republic and neighboring countries, with some families also migrating to other parts of Europe and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chumas
Among Census respondents with the surname Chumas, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Chumas 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 Chumas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.6% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chumas
Chumas 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,564 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 318 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 11,564 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 318 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 Chumas 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 | #148,347 | #148,665 | -0.2% |
| Count | 111 | 111 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chumas bearers went from 111 to 111 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 318 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #148,665.
FAQ
Chumas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chumas?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Chumas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Chumas?
Chumas ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Chumas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Chumas.
Has Chumas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chumas went from 111 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Chumas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chumas, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Chumas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chumas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.6%), Hispanic (4.5%), Black (0.9%). 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 Chumas (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 Chumas mean?
A variant spelling of the Spanish surname Chumas or Chumacero, meaning a maker of chumaces (straw sandals). 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 Chumas (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 common is the surname Chumas?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Chumas on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.