Explore the Family Name Charest
The meaning of Charest
1. Altered form of French Charet: from Old French charet ‘cart’, used as a nickname for a carter. 2. Altered form of French Canadian Chauret. Compare Cart 4, Carte 3, and Charette 1. History: The progenitor of many of the Charests was a Frenchman Mathieu Chauré, who established himself at Beauport, QC, in the middle of the 17th century. He married Sébastienne Veillon (in France). In North America, his surname was first altered to Choret (now extinct) and then to Chauret and Charest. His descendants also bear other altered forms of the surname, such as Cart(e), Char(r)ette, Sharrett, Sha(u)rette, and Shorett(e). Some characteristic forenames: French Armand, Lucien, Jacques, Marcel, Normand, Andre, Andree, Emile, Fernand, Herve, Michel, Rosaire.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Charest in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Charest saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 12,734th most popular surname, and by 2010 it dropped to the 13,824th position, marking an 8.56 percent decrease in popularity ranking. The number of individuals bearing this surname also declined slightly from 2,226 to 2,187 during the same period, representing a 1.75 percent drop.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,734 | #13,824 | -8.56% |
| Count | 2,226 | 2,187 | -1.75% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.83 | 0.74 | -10.84% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Charest
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some interesting shifts in the Charest population. While the majority of individuals with this surname identified as White in both 2000 (96.32%) and 2010 (95.47%), there was a minor reduction of 0.88 percent in this group over the decade. Meanwhile, the Asian/Pacific Islander representation within this surname saw the largest increase, growing from 0.58% in 2000 to 0.91% in 2010, showing a rise of 56.9%. Those identifying as two or more ethnicities and Hispanics also increased by 21.37% and 41.75% respectively. However, the percentage of Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native individuals carrying the Charest surname dropped to zero by 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.32% | 95.47% | -0.88% |
| Hispanic | 1.03% | 1.46% | 41.75% |
| Two or More Races | 1.17% | 1.42% | 21.37% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.58% | 0.91% | 56.9% |
| Black | 0.54% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.36% | 0% | 0% |