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

Chia, 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 Chia surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chia in America

Chia is the 16450th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chia surname appeared 1,748 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Chia.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chia 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 Chia

The surname Chia has its origins in Italy, specifically in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria. The name can be traced back to the late medieval period, around the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Italian word "ghiaia," which means "gravel" or "pebbles," suggesting that the name might have been initially used to identify someone who lived near a gravelly area or worked with gravel.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chia can be found in the historic town of Assisi, where a document from the year 1292 mentions a certain "Filippo Chia." This document is part of the municipal archives of Assisi, providing valuable insight into the early usage of the surname.

In the 14th century, the name Chia appears in the records of the city of Perugia, located in the region of Umbria. A manuscript dated 1348 mentions a "Giovanni di Chia," suggesting that the name had spread to neighboring regions by this time.

The surname Chia has also been linked to several place names throughout Italy. For instance, the town of Chia in the province of Viterbo, located in the region of Lazio, shares its name with the surname. It is possible that the surname originated from this location or that individuals from this town adopted the place name as their surname.

Among the notable historical figures bearing the surname Chia are:

1. Girolamo Chia (1518-1584), an Italian painter and architect from Florence, known for his contributions to the design of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.

2. Antonio Chia (1663-1727), an Italian composer and musician from Naples, who served as the court composer for the Duchy of Mantua.

3. Domenico Chia (1736-1812), an Italian architect and engineer from Rome, renowned for his work on the restoration of several ancient Roman monuments, including the Colosseum.

4. Giuseppe Chia (1809-1886), an Italian politician and statesman from Sardinia, who served as a member of the Italian Parliament during the reign of Victor Emmanuel II.

5. Eugenio Chia (1868-1949), an Italian painter and sculptor from Turin, known for his works depicting landscapes and everyday life in the Piedmont region.

It is important to note that the surname Chia, while having its roots in Italy, has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and other historical events.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chia

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

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 Chia 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 Chia 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 Chia was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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