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

Chastain Family History

Chastain Name Meaning

French:: (southern): variant of Chastang . nickname from Old French chastain ‘chestnut’ (a nut) possibly for someone with chestnut-colored hair. Compare Chasteen Chesteen Chastine and Shasteen .

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


Similar surnames: Cassin, Castagna, Castagno, Chapin, Chain, Captain, Mastin, Chaffin

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 Chastain family from?

You can see how Chastain families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Chastain family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Chastain families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 22 Chastain families living in Georgia. This was about 42% of all the recorded Chastain's in USA. Georgia had the highest population of Chastain families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Chastain surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Chastain ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Chastain. 27% of Chastain men worked as a Farmer and 9% of Chastain women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Chastain were Salesman and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Chastain | 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 1940

  • Farmer
    27%
  • Laborer
    18%
  • Truck Driver
    5%
  • Salesman
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    9%
  • Housekeeper
    8%
  • Seamstress
    8%
  • Stenographer
    7%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Chastain family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 31,000 census records available for the last name Chastain. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Chastain census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Chastain

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Chastain. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Chastain immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Chastain. For the veterans among your Chastain ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Chastain military records

You've only scratched the surface of Chastain family history

Discover More

What is the average Chastain lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Chastain life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Chastain in 1941 was 33, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Chastain

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Chastain family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Chastain last name

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