2000
#33,933
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 633
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Very Rare Last name
Chianese
Italian surname denoting someone from or associated with the town of Chiana.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 708 Americans carry the last name Chianese. That puts it at #38,609 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 484,116 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chianese 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
708
1 in 484,116
Census rank
#38,609
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
617
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 617 bearers of the surname Chianese in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 38609th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chianese, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chianese
The surname CHIANESE is of Italian origin, tracing its roots back to the regions of Campania and Basilicata in southern Italy. It is derived from the Italian word "chiana," which means a flat or level area, often referring to a plain or meadow.
The earliest recorded instances of the CHIANESE surname can be found in historical documents dating back to the 13th century, with a notable mention in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval records from the Benedictine abbey of Cava de' Tirreni in Salerno, Italy.
One of the earliest known bearers of the CHIANESE name was Niccolò Chianese, a renowned Italian jurist and legal scholar who lived in Naples during the late 14th century. His contributions to the study of Roman law and legal theory were highly regarded in his time.
In the 16th century, the CHIANESE surname gained prominence with the arrival of Girolamo Chianese, a celebrated painter from Naples who was active during the Renaissance period. His works, which often depicted religious themes, can still be found adorning the walls of numerous churches across southern Italy.
During the 18th century, the CHIANESE family produced several notable figures, including Gennaro Chianese, a skilled architect who played a significant role in the reconstruction efforts following the devastating earthquake that struck the city of Nola in 1688.
Another prominent figure bearing the CHIANESE surname was Vincenzo Chianese, a renowned composer and musician who lived in Naples during the late 18th century. His compositions, which included operas and sacred music, were widely performed and celebrated throughout the Italian Peninsula.
In more recent times, the CHIANESE surname has been carried by several individuals who have achieved recognition in various fields, such as Dominick Chianese, an American actor and singer best known for his role as Corrado "Uncle Junior" Soprano in the acclaimed television series "The Sopranos."
Throughout its rich history, the CHIANESE surname has been associated with various geographic locations in southern Italy, including the towns of Chianche in the province of Avellino, and Chiaiano, a neighborhood in the city of Naples. These place names share linguistic roots with the surname, further underscoring its Italian origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chianese
Among Census respondents with the surname Chianese, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Chianese 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 Chianese surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 568
- Two or more races3.2% · 20
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 7
- Black or African American0.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chianese
Chianese 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
#35,147
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 641
+8 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 1,214 places
2020
#38,609
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 617
-24 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 3,462 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #33,933 | 633 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #35,147 | 641 | 0.22 | +8 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 1,214 places |
| 2020 | #38,609 | 617 | 0.21 | -24 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 3,462 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 Chianese 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 | #35,147 | #38,609 | -9.9% |
| Count | 641 | 617 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.21 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chianese bearers went from 641 to 617 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 3,462 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,147 to #38,609.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Chianese
FAQ
Chianese surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chianese?
Name Census estimates that about 708 living Americans carry the surname Chianese. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 484,116 residents.
How common is Chianese?
Chianese ranks #38,609 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.21 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 617 people with the surname Chianese. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (708), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.21 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 Chianese.
Has Chianese become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chianese went from 641 recorded bearers to 617. That is a decrease of 24 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #35,147 to #38,609.
What does the Census say about the background of Chianese?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chianese, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Chianese in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (568 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chianese appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Chianese (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 Chianese mean?
Italian surname denoting someone from or associated with the town of Chiana. 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 Chianese (0.21 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 surname Chianese?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.