Chiana
Feminine name of Italian origin meaning "moonlight" or "moon child".
Name Census estimates that about 210 living Americans carry the first name Chiana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Chiana today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chiana births was 2001 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chiana. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
210
~ 1 in 1,632,164 Americans
Peak year
2001
25 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2014 SSA rank
#17,128
Tracked since 1976
Popularity
Chiana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chiana from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 109 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Chiana remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chiana by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Chiana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Chianas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Chiana
The name Chiana is believed to have its origins in ancient Greek culture, dating back to around the 5th century BCE. It is thought to be derived from the Greek word "khios," meaning "green" or "verdant," possibly referring to the lush, fertile landscapes of the Greek islands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chiana can be found in the works of the Greek historian Herodotus, who mentions a woman by that name in his writings. However, details about her life and significance are scarce.
In later centuries, the name Chiana appeared in various historical records and documents across the Mediterranean region, often associated with individuals from Greece, Italy, and other parts of Southern Europe.
One notable figure bearing the name Chiana was an Italian noblewoman who lived in the 14th century. Chiana di Montefalco (1292-1366) was a mystic and religious writer from the town of Montefalco, in the region of Umbria, Italy. She is venerated as a blessed in the Catholic Church.
Another historical figure with the name Chiana was a Greek painter from the 16th century. Chiana Damaskinou (c. 1500-1570) was a renowned artist from the island of Crete, known for her religious iconography and frescoes adorning various churches and monasteries.
In the realm of literature, the name Chiana appears in the works of the 19th-century Italian novelist and playwright, Carlo Goldoni. In his play "La Locandiera" (The Mistress of the Inn), one of the characters is named Chiana, though she plays a relatively minor role.
Moving forward in time, Chiana Alexopoulou (1895-1978) was a Greek actress and singer who gained popularity in the early 20th century for her performances in traditional Greek folk theater and music.
Finally, Chiana Raye (1925-2008) was an American actress and dancer known for her roles in several Hollywood films and television shows in the 1950s and 1960s, including appearances in "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Steve Allen Show."
While the name Chiana is not extremely common, it has persisted throughout history, spanning various cultures and regions, particularly in the Mediterranean and Southern European areas where it is believed to have originated.
People
Chiana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chiana as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Chiana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chiana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 210 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chiana going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,632,164 US residents.
Is Chiana a common name?
We classify Chiana as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 215 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chiana most popular?
The single biggest year for Chiana was 2001, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chiana is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Chiana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Chiana in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.