2000
#9,909
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,003
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Chumley
From a place name meaning "island by the bend" in Old English, or a riverside meadow in Middle English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,265 Americans carry the last name Chumley. That puts it at #10,714 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 104,978 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chumley 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Chumley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 104,978
Census rank
#10,714
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,847 bearers of the surname Chumley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10714th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chumley, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Black (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chumley
The surname Chumley is of English origin, originating in the county of Cheshire in the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "chumm" meaning a deep valley, and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing, suggesting that the name referred to someone who lived in a meadow situated in a deep valley.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Cheshire County Records from 1587, where a John Chumley is mentioned as a landholder in the village of Nantwich. The name is also found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Chester, where a baptism of a child named Thomas Chumley is recorded in 1612.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Captain William Chumley is noted as having served in the Parliamentarian forces under the command of Oliver Cromwell. He is mentioned in several accounts of the Battle of Naseby in 1645, where he fought bravely against the Royalist troops.
In the 18th century, the Chumley name appears to have spread beyond Cheshire, with records showing individuals bearing the surname in various parts of England. One notable figure was Sir Edward Chumley (1720-1792), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for the borough of Southwark from 1768 to 1784.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Reverend John Chumley (1742-1818), an influential clergyman who served as the Rector of St. Michael's Church in Cornhill, London. He was known for his passionate sermons and his involvement in various charitable endeavors.
As the centuries progressed, the Chumley name continued to be found across England, with pockets of families residing in various regions. Notable individuals include the artist Elizabeth Chumley (1856-1923), whose landscapes and portraits were widely acclaimed during her lifetime, and Sir Arthur Chumley (1876-1952), a decorated military officer who served in both World Wars and received numerous honors for his bravery and leadership.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chumley
Among Census respondents with the surname Chumley, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Black (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Chumley 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 Chumley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.6% · 2,465
- Two or more races5.1% · 145
- Black or African American3.6% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 85
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chumley
Chumley 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
#10,598
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,022
+19 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 689 places
2020
#10,714
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,847
-175 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.95
Rank movement Down 116 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,909 | 3,003 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,598 | 3,022 | 1.02 | +19 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 689 places |
| 2020 | #10,714 | 2,847 | 0.95 | -175 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 116 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 Chumley 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 | #10,598 | #10,714 | -1.1% |
| Count | 3,022 | 2,847 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.02 | 0.95 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chumley bearers went from 3,022 to 2,847 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 116 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,598 to #10,714.
FAQ
Chumley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chumley?
Name Census estimates that about 3,265 living Americans carry the surname Chumley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 104,978 residents.
How common is Chumley?
Chumley ranks #10,714 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.95 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 2,847 people with the surname Chumley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,265), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.95 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 Chumley.
Has Chumley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chumley went from 3,022 recorded bearers to 2,847. That is a decrease of 175 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,598 to #10,714.
What does the Census say about the background of Chumley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chumley, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Black (3.6%). 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 Chumley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.6% (2,465 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chumley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.6%), Two or More Races (5.1%), Black (3.6%). 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 Chumley (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 Chumley mean?
From a place name meaning "island by the bend" in Old English, or a riverside meadow in Middle English. 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 Chumley (0.95 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 Chumley?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Chumley on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.