2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Chyle
A surname derived from the Greek word meaning "juice" or "liquid".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Chyle. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chyle 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Chyle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chyle, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chyle
The surname CHYLE has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cyl," meaning "cool" or "cold," which was likely used to describe someone who lived near a cold stream or spring.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled "Chille." This suggests that the name may have been initially pronounced with a hard "ch" sound, similar to the modern pronunciation of "chill."
In the 14th century, the name appears in various records from the county of Gloucestershire, where it is spelled "Chyle" and "Chylle." This region was known for its numerous streams and rivers, which could have contributed to the name's association with cool or cold water sources.
During the 15th century, the surname CHYLE is mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where it is recorded as "Chylle" and "Chyll." This indicates that the name had spread across different regions of England by this time.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname CHYLE was Sir John Chyle (c. 1480-1542), a prominent merchant and landowner from Somerset. He served as Sheriff of Somerset and Dorset in 1518 and was knighted by King Henry VIII in 1525.
Another distinguished individual was Richard Chyle (1554-1623), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of St John's College, Oxford, from 1612 until his death.
In the 17th century, the surname CHYLE is found in the parish records of St. Giles in Northamptonshire, where it is spelled "Chyle" and "Chyles." This suggests that the name had spread to various parts of central and eastern England by this time.
One notable bearer of the name during this period was Thomas Chyle (1638-1698), a respected lawyer and writer from Lincolnshire. He authored several legal treatises and served as a Justice of the Peace for his county.
In the 18th century, the surname CHYLE is recorded in the parish registers of Worcestershire, where it is spelled "Chyle" and "Chyles." This indicates that the name had continued to spread across different regions of England.
A prominent figure from this era was William Chyle (1722-1782), a successful merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire. He served as a member of the local gentry and was actively involved in the affairs of his county.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chyle
Among Census respondents with the surname Chyle, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Chyle 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 Chyle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.0% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chyle
Chyle 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-16 bearers (-13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 26,173 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 3,677 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -16 bearers (-13.6%) | Down 26,173 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 3,677 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 Chyle 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 | #158,432 | #154,755 | 2.3% |
| Count | 102 | 102 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 13.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chyle bearers went from 102 to 102 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 3,677 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #154,755.
FAQ
Chyle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chyle?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Chyle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Chyle?
Chyle ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Chyle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Chyle.
Has Chyle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chyle went from 102 recorded bearers to 102. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Chyle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chyle, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Chyle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.0% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chyle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.0%), Hispanic (1.0%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Chyle (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 Chyle mean?
A surname derived from the Greek word meaning "juice" or "liquid". 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 Chyle (0.03 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 Chyle?
See how many people have the surname Chyle on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.