Given name & surname · also American
Chance
“one who takes risks”·“having good fortune”
Chance is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “one who takes risks” (American) and “having good fortune” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “one who takes risks” (American) and “having good fortune” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with American and English naming traditions.
How it developed
In English usage, Chance is an affectionate form of Chauncey.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1883. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Chance through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 56,010
- 54,622 boys · 1,388 girls
- Most popular year
- 1996
- 2,293 babies
- 2025
- 733
- #442 for boys · #5,593 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −32%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 711 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 442 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 32.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 2,243 in 1996. It also appeared in 22 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Florida had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (62). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 43,138 as a first name in 2020; 13,598 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Chance’s family of names
In English usage, Chance is an affectionate form of Chauncey. Chance has a related form in Chancey. Chance has a related form in Chantz.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 14
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Chance
- Chance the RapperAmerican rapper, singer and record producer (born 1993)
- Chance PerdomoBritish actor (1996–2024)
- Chance M. VoughtAmerican aviation pioneer (1890–1930)
- Chance KellyAmerican actorborn 1967
- Chance MyersAmerican soccer playerborn 1987
- Chance SiscoAmerican baseball player (born 1995)
- SodapoppinAmerican Twitch streamer (born 1994)
- Chance WarmackAmerican football player (born 1991)
- Chance ComancheAmerican basketball player (born 1996)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Chance, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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