Submitted Surnames on the United States Popularity List
This is a list of submitted surnames in which the name appears on the United States popularity list.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
ChairesSpanish (Mexican) Possibly a plural form of Galician chaira "little valley or meadow" or chairo "flat" (way, terrain). Refers to a person who lived in such a place.
ChaissonFrench, English Variant of the French surname Chiasson originally denoting someone from the the municipality of Chiasso in Ticino, Switzerland, located along the Swiss/Italian border.... [more]
ChaitJewish Jewish occupational name derived from the Hebrew word חייט meaning "tailor".
ChakravartiMarathi, Hindi Derived from Sanskrit चक्रवर्तिन् (chakravartin) meaning "world-ruler, emperor, monarch" (literally "wheel-turner" or "one who's wheels are turning"), from चक्र (chakra) meaning "wheel, circle" and वर्तिन् (vartin) meaning "abiding, moving, turning"... [more]
ChalkEnglish English: from Old English cealc 'chalk', applied as a topographic name for someone who lived on a patch of chalk soil, or as a habitational name from any of the various places named with this word, as for example Chalk in Kent or Chalke in Wiltshire.
ChallengerEnglish Probably from a medieval nickname for a touchy or quarrelsome person (from a derivative of Middle English chalangen "to challenge"). A fictional bearer is Professor George Challenger, irascible scientist and explorer, leader of the expedition to Amazonia in Arthur Conan Doyle's 'The Lost World' (1912).
ChallinorEnglish Occupational name for a blanket maker, derived from Middle English chaloun "blanket", itself derived from the French city of Châlons-sur-Marne (now Châlons-en-Champagne), where blankets were made in the Middle Ages.
ChallonerFrench, Welsh Derived from a town in France of the same name. This family derive their origin from Macloy Crum, of the line of chiefs in Wales, who resided several years in Challoner.
ChalmersScottish Variant of Chambers. The -l- was originally an orthographic device to indicate the length of the vowel after assimilation of -mb- to -m(m)-.
ChamberlinFrench French cognate of Chamberlain. Occupational name for an official in charge of the private chambers of his master from Old French chamberlenc "chamberlain".
ChamorroSpanish, Galician Means "shaved" in Spanish and Galician, denoting a person with a shaved head, a boy, or a Portuguese.
ChamounArabic, Arabic (Maghrebi), Assyrian, Jewish French-influenced variant of Arabic شمعون (see Shamoun), mainly used in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and parts of North Africa. This name was borne by Lebanese president Camille Chamoun (1900-1987).
ChampionEnglish, French Derived from the Middle English and Old French words campion, champiun and champion all meaning "athlete" such as a wrestler or boxer; also "warrior hired to do battle in single combat on behalf of others" (from Late Latin campio genitive campionis a derivative of campus "plain field of battle")... [more]
ChamplainFrench Name given to those who live in or around fields. Known barrer of the name is Samuel de Champlain who founded Quebec, Canada and after whom the lake is named.
ChanKhmer Means "moon" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit चन्द्र (chandra).
ChanChinese Alternate transcription of Chinese 詹 (see Zhan).
ChanEnglish (Modern, Rare) Shortened form of Chandler used by lolcow Christian Weston Chandler (1982-), who goes by the nickname Chris-Chan, most likely influenced by the Japanese diminutive suffix ちゃん (chan) commonly used in anime and manga fandom.
ChandrasekharIndian A Hindu name meaning literally "holder of the moon" (an epithet of the god Shiva). A notable bearer of this surname was the Indian-born US physicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (1910-1995); the Chandrasekhar limit, i.e. the upper limit for the mass of a white dwarf star beyond which the star collapses to a neutron star or a black hole, is named after him.
ChanthalangsyLao From Lao ຈັນທະ (chantha) meaning "moon" and ລັງສີ (langsi) meaning "ray, beam".
ChanthavongLao From Lao ຈັນທະ (chantha) meaning "moon" and ວົງ (vong) meaning "lineage, family".
ChanthavongsaLao From Lao ຈັນທະ (chantha) meaning "moon" and ວົງສາ (vongsa) meaning "family".
ChantryEnglish Means "singer in a chantry chapel" or "one who lives by a chantry chapel". A chantry was a type of chapel, one endowed for the singing of Masses for the soul of the founder (from Old French chanterie, from chanter "to sing").
ChaoChinese Alternate transcription of Chinese 趙 (see Zhao).
ChapaSpanish An occupational name for a metalworker meaning "metal sheet", amongst other things. It may also come from the name of a place in Galicia, Spain, or the Basque word and oak bush, "chaparro".
ChapdelaineFrench Compound name derived from Old French chape meaning "hooded cloak, cape, hat" and de laine meaning "of wool", probably applied as a metonymic occupational name for a maker of such apparel, or as a nickname for someone who wore a distinctive cloak or hat.
ChapelFrench Occupational name for a maker of cloaks or a nickname for a person who wore a distinctive cloak, from a diminutive of Old French chape meaning "cape, cloak".
ChapelleFrench Topographic name for someone who lived near a chapel from French chapelle "chapel" or from several places in France and Belgium called (La) Chapelle and variant of Lachapelle, Capelle, and Chappelle.
ChapinFrench, Spanish From a reduced form of French eschapin or Spanish chapín, a term for a light (woman's) shoe; perhaps a nickname for someone who habitually wore this type of footwear or possibly a metonymic occupational name for a shoemaker.
ChappellEnglish Name for someone who lived near a chapel, derived from Old French chapele meaning "chapel".
CharArabic French-influenced spelling of Shaar. Borne by both Muslims and Christians.
CharIndian Name from Sanskrit āčārya "teacher, spiritual guide". Originated among Brahmins, members of the highest caste in Hindu society, who traditionally serve as priests and teachers.
CharlierFrench, Walloon Occupational name for a cartwright wheelwright from Old French charrelier a derivative of charrel "cart" a diminutive of char "cart carriage".
CharmantFrench Derived from French meaning "charming, attractive". It could have been given to an ancestor who was known for their charming or pleasant demeanor, or to someone who was known for their good looks or attractive features... [more]
CharnockEnglish (Rare) The locational surname originates from two places, Charnock Richard and Heath Charnock, which are both located in Lancashire, England.... [more]
CharretteFrench Derived from Old French char(r)ete "small cart", itself a diminutive of char "cart carriage".
ChartersEnglish Scottish (Kirkcudbrightshire) and northern English, ultimately of Norman origin. This is a habitational name derived from the French town of Chartres, which is named from the Gaulish tribe recorded in Latin sources as the Carnutes.
ChartierFrench An occupational name for a carter from an agent derivative of Old French charette "cart".
ChaseFrench Topographic name for someone who lived in or by a house, probably the occupier of the most distinguished house in the village, from a southern derivative of Latin casa "hut, cottage, cabin".
ChâtelainFrench from châtelain "lord (of the manor)" Old French chastelain (from Latin castellanus a derivative of castellum "castle") applied either as a status name for the governor or constable of a castle or as an ironic nickname.
ChaumontFrench Habitational name from any of numerous places called Chaumont "bald mountain" from the elements chalscaux "bald" and mont "mountain" (ultimately from Latin calvusmons) for example in Cher Orne Jura Haute-Savoie.
ChaunceyAmerican Of uncertain origin. Possibly from Norman French habitation names Chancé or an American adaptation of a German place name of Schanze located on the Upper Rhine. Could also be a short form of Chancellor.
ChavisLumbee The earliest possibly record of this is from 1728. The spelling at the time was possibly different. It was the surname of freed servant mulatto servant named Will Chaviss. In 1900 census of Robeson County, North Carolina the word was self-identified as a Lumbee last name.
ChawlaIndian, Hindi, Punjabi, Indian (Sikh) Derived from the name of a clan in the Arora community, which is apparently named with Sanskrit तांडुल (cawal) meaning "rice". Originating from the Punjab region of India and Pakistan, the name is also derived from Aror (now Rohri) a city in the Sukkur District, Sindh, Pakistan, and the community comprises both Hindus and Sikhs.
CheeksPopular Culture This is the surname of Sandy a Cheeks from SpongeBob SquarePants.
CheemaPunjabi Meaning unknown. This is the name of a Punjabi-speaking subclan of the Jat people found in India and Pakistan, with most members being either Muslim or Sikh.
CheesemanEnglish Occupational name for a maker or seller of cheese.
CheeverEnglish Means "goatherd", or from a medieval nickname for someone thought to resemble a goat (e.g. in capriciousness) (in either case from Anglo-Norman chivere "goat"). It was borne by American author John Cheever (1912-1982).
ChêneFrench from Old French chesne "oak" (from Late Latin caxinus), hence a topographic name denoting someone who lived near a conspicuous oak tree or in an oak wood, or a habitational name from (Le) Chêne, the name of several places in various parts of France... [more]
CheneFrench Means "oak" in French. Perhaps it's named for someone who lived by an oak tree.
CheneryMedieval French, English (British, Anglicized, Modern) Derived from the Old French "chesne" for oak tree, or "chesnai" for oak grove, from the medieval Latin "casnetum". As a topographical name, Cheyne denoted residence near a conspicuous oak tree, or in an oak forest.
ChengHmong From the clan name Tsheej associated with the Chinese character 陳 (chén) (see Chen).
ChénierFrench French surname which indicated one who lived in an oak wood or near a conspicuous oak tree, derived from Old French chesne "oak" (Late Latin caxinus). In some cases it may be from a Louisiana dialectical term referring to "an area of shrub oak growing in sandy soil" (i.e., "beach ridge, usually composed of sand-sized material resting on clay or mud... [more]
ChenierFrench (Cajun) A sandy or shelly beach. Derived from the French word for wood, “chêne,” meaning oak.
ChernoffRussian, Jewish Alternative spelling of Chernov, a patronymic from the byname Chernyj meaning ‘black’, denoting a black-haired or dark-skinned person.
ChernovRussian From Russian чёрный (chyorniy) meaning "black".
ChernovaRussian Derived from Russian чёрный (chyorniy) meaning "black". Feminine counterpart of Chernov.
CherryEnglish From Middle English chirie, cherye "cherry", hence a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of cherries, or possibly a nickname for someone with rosy cheeks.... [more]
ChérubinFrench French cognate of Cherubin from Old French chérubin "cherub", perhaps a nickname for a baby-faced individual.
CheryFrench The name Chery is derived from the Anglo Norman French word, cherise, which means cherry, and was probably used to indicate a landmark, such as a cherry tree, which distinguished the location bearing the name.
ChestnutEnglish From Old French castan "chestnut tree" (Latin castanea), a name for someone who lived near a particular chestnut tree, or possibly a nickname for someone with chestnut-coloured hair (see Chastain).
ChestnuttEnglish "Chestnut." A notable bearer is Charles Waddel Chestnut, a novelist.
ChetcutiMaltese Derived from Arabic كتكوت (katkūt) meaning "(newborn) chick, young chicken".
ChevrierFrench Occupational name for a goatherd from an agent derivative of chèvre "goat" (from Latin capra "nanny goat").
ChewEnglish Habitational name from a place in Somerset named Chew Magna, which is named for the river on which it stands, a Celtic name, perhaps cognate with Welsh cyw ‘young animal or bird’, ‘chicken’.
ChiaramonteItalian comes from the italian word chiara meaning "clear" and the the word monte meaning "mountain", possibly denoting someone who lived by clear mountians, hills, etc.
ChiarenzaItalian From Clarence, a medieval Frankish town in Greece, called Chiarenza or Clarenza in Italian, rendered Γλαρέντζα (Glarentza) in contemporary Greek documents.
ChiassonFrench, English French surname originally denoting someone from the the municipality of Chiasso in Ticino, Switzerland, located along the Swiss/Italian border.... [more]
ChiavettaItalian From Italian "chiavetta", deriving from chiave meaning key.
ChicaSpanish Apparently from chica, feminine form of chico ‘small’, ‘young’ (see Chico), but a variant of the habitational name Checa, from a place so named in Jaén province is also a possibility.
ChiesaItalian Means "church" in Italian, originally a topographic name for someone who lived near a church, a habitational name from any of various places named Chiesa or perhaps an occupational name for someone who worked in a church.
ChildEnglish Nickname from Middle English child meaning "child", "infant".
ChildersEnglish Probably a habitational name from some lost place named Childerhouse, from Old English cildra "child" and hus "house", possibly referring to an orphanage.
ChildreyEnglish From the name of a village in Oxfordshire, England, derived from either the Old English given name Cilla or the element cille/cwylla "spring, well" combined with riþ "stream".
ChinchillaSpanish Originally denoted a person from the Spanish town of Chinchilla de Monte-Aragón in the province of Albacete. The place name is possibly of Arabic origin.
ChindavongLao From Lao ຈິນດາ (chinda) meaning "imagination, meditation, reflection" and ວົງ (vong) meaning "lineage, family".
ChinenJapanese, Okinawan From 知 (chi) meaning "wisdom, knowledge" and 念 (nen) meaning "feeling, sense".