Unisex · #8,022 in 2026

Chaney

Chaney is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:Beej Chaney (1957–2025), American punk/new wave musician Cassius Chaney, American boxer Charles "Bubba" Chaney, American politician Chris Chaney, American musician Darrel Chaney, American baseball player Don Chaney, American basketball player and coach Edward Chaney, Cultural historian Esty Chaney (1891–1952), American baseball…

Current Rank
#8,022
Peak Rank
#959 (2003)
Total Babies
1K
5-Yr Trend
-25%
👧 Girl peak #959 (1K total)
👦 Boy peak #3,296 (411 total)
👧As Girl Name
1886
First Year
2026
Last Year
2003
Peak Year
#959
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
89
Years Active
👦As Boy Name
1915
First Year
2022
Last Year
1998
Peak Year
#3296
Peak Rank
411
Total Count
42
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Chaney

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Chaney is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:Beej Chaney (1957–2025), American punk/new wave musician Cassius Chaney, American boxer Charles "Bubba" Chaney, American politician Chris Chaney, American musician Darrel Chaney, American baseball player Don Chaney, American basketball player and coach Edward Chaney, Cultural historian Esty Chaney (1891–1952), American baseball…

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Chaney

As a girl name

Chaney first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1886, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2003, when 57 Chaneys were born — ranking #2,737 that year. As of 2026, Chaney ranks #8,022 for girls with 12 births, falling sharply (-25%). In total, more than 1K Chaneys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Chaney first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1915, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1998, when 23 Chaneys were born — ranking #3,296 that year. As of 2026, Chaney ranks #12,323 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 411 Chaneys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Chaney

Phonetically similar names — useful when Chaney is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Chaney

What does the name Chaney mean?
Chaney is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:Beej Chaney (1957–2025), American punk/new wave musician Cassius Chaney, American boxer Charles "Bubba" Chaney, American politician Chris Chaney, American musician Darrel Chaney, American baseball player Don Chaney, American basketball player and coach Edward Chaney, Cultural historian Esty Chaney (1891–1952), American baseball…
How popular is Chaney in 2026?
In 2026, Chaney ranks #8,022 among girls' names in the U.S., with 12 babies given the name that year.
When was Chaney most popular?
Chaney reached its peak popularity in 2003, ranking #959 that year with 57 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Chaney most popular?
Chaney has historically been most popular in Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Chaney.
Is Chaney a unisex name?
Yes — Chaney is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 77% of Chaneys assigned female and 23% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Chaney?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Chaney include Lidie, Hermine, Siddie. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Chaney

Chaney is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1886 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Chaney's peak popularity came in 2003 when it ranked #959. Use the chart and map above to compare Chaney's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.