Given name & surname
Chess
“from the camp of the soldiers”
Chess is a variant of Chester. One Latin interpretation is “from the camp of the soldiers.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Chess is a variant of Chester. One Latin interpretation is “from the camp of the soldiers.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Chess is a variant of Chester. Chester has been associated with Old English and Latin naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1915. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Chess is a variant of Chester. The history of Chester gives this family its wider story. Chester’s naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Chess through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 29
- 29 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1953
- 8 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 2020. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 8 in 1953. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 160 as a first name in 2020; 1,646 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.
Chess’s family of names
Chess has a related form in Chester. In Greek usage, Chess as a surname is a transliteration of Χεσς.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Similar names
If you love Chess, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Cris
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Stevan
“crowned with garland”
>99% boys