History of your Surname
Get access to Chaplin family records.Start a free trial

Chaplin Family History

Chaplin Name Meaning

English and French: occupational name for a chantry priest from Middle English c(h)apelein Old French chapelain (ultimately from Late Latin capellanus) a priest endowed to sing mass daily on behalf of the souls of the dead. Ukrainian and Belorussian: patronymic from the nickname Chaplya from the dialect word chaplya ‘heron stork’ referring to a man with long thin legs or perhaps one who was shy and easily frightened.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Caplin, Chapin, Chopin, Chaffin, Camplin, Chapman, Chauvin, Challis

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Chaplin family from?

You can see how Chaplin families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Chaplin family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Chaplin families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 62 Chaplin families living in Ontario. This was about 47% of all the recorded Chaplin's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Chaplin families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Chaplin surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Chaplin ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Domestic were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Chaplin. 44% of Chaplin men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Chaplin women worked as a Domestic. Some less common occupations for Americans named Chaplin were Packer and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Chaplin | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    44%
  • Labourer
    23%
  • Laborer
    7%
  • Packer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Domestic
    50%
  • Housekeeper
    50%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Chaplin family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 119,000 census records available for the last name Chaplin. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Chaplin census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Chaplin

Passenger Lists

There are 24,000 immigration records available for the last name Chaplin. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Chaplin immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Chaplin. For the veterans among your Chaplin ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Chaplin military records

You've only scratched the surface of Chaplin family history

Discover More

What is the average Chaplin lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Chaplin life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Chaplin in 1948 was 40, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Chaplin

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Chaplin family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Chaplin last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial