2000
#17,530
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,481
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.55
Rare Last name
Chia
A surname of Chinese origin referring to a trader or merchant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,273 Americans carry the last name Chia. That puts it at #14,475 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 150,794 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chia 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Chia with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 150,794
Census rank
#14,475
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,982 bearers of the surname Chia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14475th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chia, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 69.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.6%) and White (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chia
Among Census respondents with the surname Chia, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 69.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.6%) and White (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Chia 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 Chia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander69.8% · 1,383
- Hispanic or Latino18.6% · 369
- White5.3% · 106
- Two or more races3.1% · 61
- Black or African American3.0% · 59
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chia
Chia 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
#16,450
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,748
+267 bearers (+18.0%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Up 1,080 places
2020
#14,475
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,982
+234 bearers (+13.4%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Up 1,975 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,530 | 1,481 | 0.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,450 | 1,748 | 0.59 | +267 bearers (+18.0%) | Up 1,080 places |
| 2020 | #14,475 | 1,982 | 0.66 | +234 bearers (+13.4%) | Up 1,975 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 Chia 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 | #16,450 | #14,475 | 12.0% |
| Count | 1,748 | 1,982 | 13.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.59 | 0.66 | 12.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chia bearers went from 1,748 to 1,982 (+13.4% change). The surname moved up 1,975 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,450 to #14,475.
FAQ
Chia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chia?
Name Census estimates that about 2,273 living Americans carry the surname Chia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 150,794 residents.
How common is Chia?
Chia ranks #14,475 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,982 people with the surname Chia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,273), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Chia.
Has Chia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chia went from 1,748 recorded bearers to 1,982. That is an increase of 234 (+13.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,450 to #14,475.
What does the Census say about the background of Chia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chia, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 69.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.6%) and White (5.3%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Chia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.8% (1,383 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (69.8%), Hispanic (18.6%), White (5.3%). 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 Chia (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 Chia mean?
A surname of Chinese origin referring to a trader or merchant. 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 Chia (0.66 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 common is the surname Chia?
Find out how many people have the last name Chia on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.