Explore the Family Name Chaput

The meaning of Chaput

French: 1. variant of Chapu, a nickname for a habitual wearer of a distinctive cloak or hat, from a derivative of Old French chape ‘hooded cloak, cape, hood’, or ‘hat’ (from Late Latin capa). 2. possibly also a variant of Chapuis ‘carpenter, joiner’. Compare Shappee, Shappy, Shepard, and Sheperd. History: Nicolas Chaput from Noidans-le-Ferroux in Haute-Saône, France, married Angélique Gauthier in Pointe-aux-Trembles, QC, in 1689. François Chaput dit Cuisinier from Nébouzat in Puy-de-Dôme, France, married Charlotte Devis in Quebec City, QC, in 1740. Some characteristic forenames: French Armand, Andre, Fernand, Lucien, Adrien, Alcid, Alphonse, Gaetan, Germaine, Girard, Jacques, Jean Marc.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Chaput in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Chaput saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Chaput was ranked 12,716th in terms of popularity, but fell to 13,283rd by 2010, marking a 4.46% drop. Despite this, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased from 2,230 to 2,296 during the same period, reflecting a growth of 2.96%. The proportion per 100k, however, decreased by 6.02%, moving from 0.83 to 0.78.

20002010Change
Rank#12,716#13,283-4.46%
Count2,2302,2962.96%
Proportion per 100k0.830.78-6.02%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Chaput

In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census reveals an increase in diversity among those bearing the Chaput surname from 2000 to 2010. While the majority identifying as White decreased slightly from 96.41% to 93.90%, there were notable increases in other ethnic identities. Those identifying as Hispanic almost doubled from 1.57% to 2.83%, representing an 80.25% increase. The percentage of individuals identifying as Black or of two or more races also rose, up 30.00% and 63.39% respectively, while Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native identities emerged within the Chaput community.

20002010Change
White96.41%93.9%-2.6%
Hispanic1.57%2.83%80.25%
Two or More Races1.12%1.83%63.39%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0.7%0%
Black0.4%0.52%30%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.22%0%