Chauncey
Feminine · “from the Norman surname Chauncy”
Chauncey is given to both — 508 girls and 9,685 boys since 1880. See Chauncey as a boy nameSee other names given to both
Chauncey is a Norman family name that became an American first name in colonial times. Two nineteenth-century New Yorkers made it famous: Chauncey Olcott, the tenor who wrote My Wild Irish Rose, and Chauncey Depew, the railroad president and senator whose name is on a village near Buffalo.
How old is the name Chauncey?
Chauncey first appears in US birth records in 1917 — 108 years ago. The typical Chauncey alive today was born around 1987, making them about 38 years old. About 500 people named Chauncey are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Chauncey most popular?
Chauncey peaked in 1982, reaching #3647 nationally. See the whole 1982 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From Chauncy (Norman surname) to Chauncey
The story of Chauncey
The Chauncy surname came to America with English settlers and was in use as a first name in New England during the colonial period. Chauncey Olcott, born Chancellor John Olcott in Buffalo in 1858, became a leading tenor of Irish-themed musical plays, wrote My Wild Irish Rose, and co-wrote the lyrics of When Irish Eyes Are Smiling. Chauncey Depew, president of the New York Central Railroad and a United States senator, was one of the most sought-after after-dinner speakers of his day, and the village of Depew, near Buffalo, is named after him.
Meaning
from the Norman surname Chauncy
The name comes from the family name Chauncy, taken from a place in France. Which place, and what its name meant, has not been firmly established.
How the name formed
- ChauncyNorman surname
- ChaunceyAmerican first name
Pronouncing Chauncey
CHAWN-see
Two syllables, stress on the first. Many Americans say CHAHN-see; both are standard.
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1917
- Most girls named
- 199226 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #3647reached in 1982
- Change vs 2013
- 0.0%5 in 2014, from 5
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Chaunceys among us
people named Chauncey are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Chauncey sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- A long American record, with namesakes in music and politics.
- An established name rather than a coinage, in use as a first name since colonial times.
- Rare among children today, so it will seldom be shared.
- To many ears it sounds formal and patrician, and that impression comes attached.
- Chauncey, Chauncy and Chancey all occur, so it will need spelling out.
- A very few girls are recorded with it; as a surname-name used almost only for boys, it will be read as masculine.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Chauncey to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Chauncey? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Chauncey
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Chaunceys are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 500 people named Chauncey are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Chauncey in 2025?
- Chauncey is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Chauncey with classmates?
- Chauncey will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More C names
The most-given names starting with C, all years combined.
Carol#2239 · Cynthia#1013 · Catherine#313 · Christine#1272 · Carolyn#1222 · Christina#770 · Charlotte#2 · Cheryl#4352
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Chauncey? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Chauncey and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle