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

Chiba, 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 Chiba surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chiba in America

Chiba is the 56710th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chiba surname appeared 360 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Chiba.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chiba 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 Chiba

The surname Chiba has its origins in Japan, tracing back to the medieval period around the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the name of the Chiba Prefecture, a geographical region located on the eastern coast of the country. The name itself is thought to stem from an old Japanese word meaning "river territory" or "river lands."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Chiba name can be found in the Azuma Kagami, a historical text from the late 13th century that chronicles the events of the Kamakura shogunate. This text mentions several individuals bearing the Chiba surname, suggesting that it had already been established as a prominent family name by that time.

During the Muromachi period, which spanned from the 14th to the 16th century, the Chiba clan rose to prominence as a powerful samurai family. They were lords of the Chiba Domain, a feudal territory that encompassed parts of present-day Chiba Prefecture. Several notable figures from this era carried the Chiba name, including Chiba Tsunetane (1525-1596), a renowned warrior and military strategist.

In the Edo period, which lasted from the 17th to the 19th century, the Chiba family continued to play a significant role in Japanese society. One notable figure from this time was Chiba Tsugutomo (1610-1653), a Confucian scholar and advisor to the Tokugawa shogunate. Another prominent individual was Chiba Yoshizane (1675-1749), a poet and calligrapher who served as a court official.

Moving into the modern era, the Chiba surname has been carried by several influential individuals. Chiba Sumiya (1855-1935) was a pioneering educator and one of the founders of the Tokyo Women's Christian University. Chiba Kurasuke (1869-1939) was a respected artist and woodblock print designer, known for his contributions to the Shin-hanga movement.

Throughout history, the Chiba name has also been associated with various place names and geographical locations. For example, the town of Chiba-shi, now a major city in Chiba Prefecture, was named after the Chiba clan who once ruled the area. Similarly, the Chiba River, which flows through parts of the prefecture, likely contributed to the surname's origins and meaning.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chiba

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

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

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

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