FastNamesChase
French and English name meaning "Hunter, huntsman, or dwelling near a hunting ground; derived from Old French chasser ('to hunt') via Middle English chace ('hunting park').". Ranked 192nd for boys in 2025.
Meaning and origin of Chase
Hunter, huntsman, or dwelling near a hunting ground; derived from Old French chasser ('to hunt') via Middle English chace ('hunting park').
Linguistically, Chase is classified under French and English naming traditions. It is typically pronounced "CHAYS".
Popularity and ranking
In official US Social Security birth records from 1880 through 2025, Chase has been given to a total of 181,160 boys. It has also been given to 3,798 girls.
Peak year: Chase reached its highest relative share among boys in 2009, when 7,394 babies received the name (3,728 per million births).
All-time best rank: 61st place, first achieved in 2009.
Recent standing (2025): Ranked 192nd with 1,904 births. Ten years earlier in 2015, it ranked 74th (down 118 spots).
Busiest decade: More boys were named Chase in the 2000s than in any other decade (57,175 births).
| Decade | Recorded births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 5 |
| 1890s | 5 |
| 1900s | 0 |
| 1910s | 46 |
| 1920s | 66 |
| 1930s | 43 |
| 1940s | 57 |
| 1950s | 85 |
| 1960s | 216 |
| 1970s | 1,148 |
| 1980s | 16,556 |
| 1990s | 40,311 |
| 2000s | 57,175 |
| 2010s | 50,350 |
| 2020s | 15,097 |
Source: Social Security Administration, national baby name data, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
Where Chase is most common in the US
Accounting for when Chase was in fashion nationally, it has been most heavily concentrated in the following states (measured against the expected rate from each state's births):
- Delaware: 2.0 times the national rate (808 births since 1910).
- Montana: 1.9 times the national rate (809 births since 1910).
- Wyoming: 1.9 times the national rate (387 births since 1910).
- South Dakota: 1.8 times the national rate (793 births since 1910).
- North Dakota: 1.8 times the national rate (728 births since 1910).
Source: Social Security Administration, baby names by state, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a state in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
How many people have the name Chase?
About 177,000 living American boys and men share the name Chase. Additionally, an estimated 3,800 living American girls and women share the name.
The median age of an American named Chase is 20 years old.
Estimated from Social Security Administration records (1880–2025) and official SSA cohort mortality tables.
History of the name Chase
Chase emerged as a surname of Norman-French occupational and topographic origin, stemming from Old French chasser (meaning 'to hunt' or 'pursue', from Vulgar Latin captiare). It originally identified a huntsman or gamekeeper, or an individual living near an enclosed hunting park or royal preserve known in Middle English as a 'chase'.
Early English records document the surname across Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, and Cornwall. The name crossed the Atlantic with seventeenth-century English settlers in Massachusetts and Maryland, producing prominent historical figures including American jurist Salmon P. Chase, who served as Chief Justice of the United States and was featured on the U.S. ten-thousand-dollar bill.
In United States baby name records, Chase made a brisk entry into popular naming during the 1980s, ascending into the national top one hundred in 1995 and peaking inside the top seventy. Valued for its single-syllable punch, energetic phonetic drive, and tailored sporting spirit, Chase is an enduring fixture of modern American masculine nomenclature.
Notable people named Chase
- Chase Elliott (1995–), American NASCAR Cup Series champion driver
- Chase Utley (1978–), American six-time MLB All-Star second baseman and World Series champion
- Chase Young (1999–), American NFL defensive end and Pro Bowl defender
- Chase Claypool (1998–), Canadian-American professional football wide receiver
Variants and related names
Spelling variants
Related names
Sources and references
- Patrick Hanks, Kate Hardcastle, Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of First Names (2006), p. 53.
- Charles Wareing Bardsley. A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1901), p. 172.
- Douglas Harper. Online Etymology Dictionary. Reference link.