2010
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Chiacchia
An occupational surname derived from the Italian word "chiacchiera" meaning "to chatter" or "gossip".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Chiacchia. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chiacchia 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Chiacchia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chiacchia, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chiacchia
The surname "CHIACCHIA" originated from Italy during the late Middle Ages, likely emerging in the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Italian word "chiacchiera," which means "chatter" or "gossip." This suggests that the name may have been given as a nickname to someone who was known for being talkative or chatty.
The earliest known references to the CHIACCHIA surname can be found in historical records from various regions of Italy, particularly in the central and southern regions. One notable early mention is in a document from the city of Naples, dated around 1380, which lists a certain "Nicolo Chiacchia" as a resident of the city.
In the 15th century, the CHIACCHIA name appears in several documents from the region of Abruzzo, including a record from the town of Chieti in 1462, which mentions a "Giovanni Chiacchia" as a landowner. This suggests that by this time, the name had spread to different parts of the Italian peninsula.
During the Renaissance period, the CHIACCHIA surname continued to be documented in various Italian cities and towns. One notable person from this era was Girolamo Chiacchia, a scholar and writer from Naples who lived from around 1520 to 1585. He authored several works on philosophy and theology, including a treatise on the nature of the soul.
In the 17th century, the CHIACCHIA name can be found in records from the city of Rome, such as a baptismal record from 1632 that lists the birth of a child named "Pietro Chiacchia." This indicates that the surname had established a presence in the Eternal City by this time.
Another notable figure bearing the CHIACCHIA surname was Antonio Chiacchia, a painter who lived in Naples during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was known for his religious paintings and frescoes, which adorned several churches in the city.
As the centuries progressed, the CHIACCHIA surname continued to be present in various regions of Italy, with individuals bearing this name contributing to various fields, including the arts, literature, and academia. While not as widely known as some other Italian surnames, the CHIACCHIA name has left its mark on the country's rich cultural and historical tapestry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chiacchia
Among Census respondents with the surname Chiacchia, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Chiacchia 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 Chiacchia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 96
- Two or more races7.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chiacchia
Chiacchia appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-17 bearers (-13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,223 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.6%) | Down 16,223 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 Chiacchia 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 | #134,712 | #150,935 | -12.0% |
| Count | 125 | 108 | -13.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chiacchia bearers went from 125 to 108 (-13.6% change). The surname moved down 16,223 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #150,935.
FAQ
Chiacchia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chiacchia?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Chiacchia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Chiacchia?
Chiacchia ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Chiacchia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Chiacchia.
Has Chiacchia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chiacchia went from 125 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 17 (-13.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Chiacchia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chiacchia, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Chiacchia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chiacchia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Two or More Races (7.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Chiacchia (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 Chiacchia mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Italian word "chiacchiera" meaning "to chatter" or "gossip". 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 Chiacchia (0.04 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 Chiacchia?
You can see how many people have the surname Chiacchia on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.