Chance
A surname that likely began as a nickname for someone associated with luck, hazard, or fortune.
The #2,540 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 21,657 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is usually explained from Middle English chance, meaning luck, fortune, or an event that happens unexpectedly, ultimately from Anglo-Norman French chance. In older surname books it is often treated as a nickname or descriptive name, perhaps for someone thought lucky, unlucky, or connected with some notable incident. One 19th-century source also links it with the later form Chancey, but the shorter form Chance is best understood on its own as a nickname built from the common noun.
History
Lower records Chance as an established surname form and notes that it was “originally Chance,” treating it as the same name as Chancey. Later surname writers likewise connect it with chance or hazard as a personal nickname, similar to other surnames formed from abstract qualities or occurrences. The name is now best known in English-speaking countries and is especially visible in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A few old surname writers grouped Chance with other surnames derived from everyday nouns like Danger, Care, and Treasure.
From the historical record
“De Gampauia. CHANCE. Originally Chance. The same as Chancey. CHANCELLOR. A name applied to various offices, civil and ecclesiastical. Richardson. CHANCEY. Scot, chancy, Fv. chan- ceux, fortunate, happy. Jamiesou. See however Chauncy. CHANDLER. Origmally a maker of”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom