Find out how popular the last name Chaca is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Chaca.

Chaca, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Chaca surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chaca in America

Chaca is the 101247th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chaca surname appeared 178 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Chaca.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chaca to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Chaca

The surname Chaca has its origins in the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France, tracing back to the early medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Basque word "txaka," which refers to a small hut or dwelling, suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived in or was associated with such a structure.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chaca can be found in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a collection of medieval documents from the monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla, located in the province of La Rioja, Spain. This manuscript, dating back to the 11th century, mentions a person named Sancho Chaca, who was a landowner in the region.

In the 13th century, the Chaca name appeared in the Fuero de Vizcaya, an important legal code of the Lordship of Biscay (now part of the Basque Country). This document recorded the rights and privileges of the local inhabitants, including individuals with the surname Chaca, suggesting their presence in the area at that time.

As the name spread beyond the Basque region, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Chacah, Chacay, and Chachai, reflecting the influence of local dialects and scribal practices. One notable example is Juan Chachai, a renowned sculptor from the town of Briviesca, who lived in the 16th century and contributed to the artistic heritage of the region.

The Chaca surname also found its way to the Americas during the Spanish colonization period. In the 17th century, Pedro Chaca was a prominent landowner and cattle rancher in the Viceroyalty of Peru, where he established a hacienda and left a lasting legacy in the region.

Another notable figure was María Chaca, a Basque-born woman who migrated to the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo (present-day Dominican Republic) in the late 18th century. She is remembered for her involvement in the local community and her efforts to preserve Basque cultural traditions in the Caribbean.

Throughout the centuries, the Chaca surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, artisans, and scholars. While not as widely known as some other Spanish surnames, it remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the Basque people and their influence across the Iberian Peninsula and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chaca

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Chaca.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Chaca was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Chaca has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Chaca was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Chaca, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!