2000
#2,475
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,370
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.96
Uncommon Last name
Chapa
A Spanish and Portuguese occupational surname referring to a metalworker who makes or works with metal sheets.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,511 Americans carry the last name Chapa. That puts it at #2,327 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,574 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chapa surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
18K
1 in 19,574
Census rank
#2,327
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
15K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,270 bearers of the surname Chapa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2327th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chapa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (7.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chapa
The surname Chapa has its origins in Spain, where it first emerged in the late medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "chapa," which means "plate" or "sheet" in English. This word has its roots in the Latin word "plattus," meaning "flat."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Chapa surname dates back to the 14th century, when it appeared in a document from the region of Castile y León. During this time, it was not uncommon for surnames to originate from occupations or physical characteristics, and it is possible that the Chapa name was initially given to someone who worked with metal plates or sheets.
In the 15th century, the name Chapa can be found in records from the town of Zamora, located in the province of the same name. This suggests that the surname may have been particularly prevalent in this area during the early stages of its development.
A notable figure in Spanish history bearing the Chapa surname was Juan de Chapa, a 16th-century military commander who served under King Philip II. He played a significant role in the Spanish conquest of the Philippines and was appointed as the first Spanish governor of the island of Cebu in 1565.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Pedro Chapa, a 17th-century Spanish painter who was active in Madrid during the reign of King Philip IV. His works, which included religious paintings and portraits, can still be found in various churches and museums across Spain.
In the 18th century, the Chapa surname spread beyond Spain's borders, with individuals bearing this name appearing in records from Spanish colonial territories in the Americas. One such example is José María Chapa, a Mexican landowner and rancher who lived in the state of Coahuila y Texas during the early 19th century.
As the Chapa surname continued to disperse throughout the world, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Chappa, Chappe, and Chapas. Additionally, the name has been associated with certain place names, like Chapa in the Spanish province of León, which may have influenced its development.
Throughout history, the Chapa surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, including military leaders, artists, landowners, and more. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Spain, the name has since spread across continents and cultures, reflecting the rich tapestry of human migration and heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chapa
Among Census respondents with the surname Chapa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (7.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Chapa bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Chapa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.6% · 13,840
- White7.9% · 1,205
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 84
- Two or more races0.4% · 57
- Black or African American0.3% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 40
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chapa
Chapa appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,297
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,865
+2,495 bearers (+18.7%)
Per 100,000 5.38
Rank movement Up 178 places
2020
#2,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,270
-595 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 5.11
Rank movement Down 30 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,475 | 13,370 | 4.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,297 | 15,865 | 5.38 | +2,495 bearers (+18.7%) | Up 178 places |
| 2020 | #2,327 | 15,270 | 5.11 | -595 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 30 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Chapa surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,297 | #2,327 | -1.3% |
| Count | 15,865 | 15,270 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 5.38 | 5.11 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chapa bearers went from 15,865 to 15,270 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 30 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,297 to #2,327.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Chapa
FAQ
Chapa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chapa?
Name Census estimates that about 17,511 living Americans carry the surname Chapa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,574 residents.
How common is Chapa?
Chapa ranks #2,327 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,270 people with the surname Chapa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,511), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Chapa.
Has Chapa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chapa went from 15,865 recorded bearers to 15,270. That is a decrease of 595 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,297 to #2,327.
What does the Census say about the background of Chapa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chapa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (7.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Chapa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (13,840 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chapa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.6%), White (7.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Chapa (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Chapa mean?
A Spanish and Portuguese occupational surname referring to a metalworker who makes or works with metal sheets. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Chapa (5.11 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Chapa?
You can see how common the surname Chapa is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.