Chance

Meaning of Chance

Chance, pronounced CHANS, traces its roots to the Old French “cheance,” a word that once described the roll of destiny’s dice and later slipped into English speech as “chance.” As a given name it wears that meaning on its sleeve, offering parents the promise of good fortune much the way Indians speak of kismat or bhāgya. In the United States, Chance rode an optimistic wave in the late 20th century—climbing the charts through the 1990s and now resting comfortably in the mid-hundreds—proof that luck rarely goes out of style. Pop culture has sprinkled extra stardust on the name, from the lyrical swagger of Chance the Rapper to Tennessee Williams’ restless drifter, Chance Wayne. Short, spirited, and easy on the tongue, Chance greets the world with the breezy confidence of a Mumbai sea‐breeze and the quiet assurance that, like a perfectly spiced cup of chai, a little good luck is meant to be savored and shared.

Pronunciation

American English

• Pronunced as CHANS (/tʃæns/)

• Chase
• Chancey
• Chandler
• Chancellor
• Channing
• Chauncey