2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Chieppa
Of Italian origin, likely derived from a geographical place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Chieppa. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chieppa 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Chieppa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chieppa, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chieppa
The surname CHIEPPA originates from Italy, specifically the region of Campania in the south. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "chieppa," which means a clump or tuft of grass or vegetation. This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near or worked in an area with dense vegetation.
CHIEPPA is thought to have its roots in the Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century. The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to a document from the town of Amalfi in 1189, which mentions a landowner named Matteo CHIEPPA.
In the 13th century, records show a family of the CHIEPPA name residing in the town of Ravello, near Amalfi. This family is believed to have been among the first to carry the surname in a hereditary manner.
One notable mention of the CHIEPPA name can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Amalfitano," a collection of historical documents from the Amalfi region, which includes several references to individuals with the surname from the 13th to the 15th centuries.
Among the earliest documented individuals with the CHIEPPA surname was Nicola CHIEPPA, a merchant and ship owner from Amalfi who lived in the late 14th century.
Another prominent figure was Pietro CHIEPPA, a scholar and poet who was born in Ravello in 1437 and gained recognition for his works in Latin and Italian.
In the 16th century, the CHIEPPA family expanded their presence to other parts of Campania, including Naples. A notable member from this era was Gian Battista CHIEPPA, a lawyer and judge who served in the Neapolitan court in the late 1500s.
The 17th century saw the birth of Domenico CHIEPPA, a renowned architect and sculptor who was responsible for designing several churches and palaces in Naples and the surrounding areas.
In the 18th century, the CHIEPPA name gained further recognition with Antonio CHIEPPA, a celebrated painter from Amalfi who was known for his religious works and frescoes adorning churches throughout southern Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chieppa
Among Census respondents with the surname Chieppa, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Chieppa 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 Chieppa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.2% · 5
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chieppa
Chieppa 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+3 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,444 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+6 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,413 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 6,444 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.3%) | Up 3,413 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 Chieppa 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 | #146,201 | #142,788 | 2.3% |
| Count | 113 | 119 | 5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chieppa bearers went from 113 to 119 (+5.3% change). The surname moved up 3,413 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #142,788.
FAQ
Chieppa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chieppa?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Chieppa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Chieppa?
Chieppa ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Chieppa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Chieppa.
Has Chieppa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chieppa went from 113 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 6 (+5.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Chieppa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chieppa, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%). 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 Chieppa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chieppa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Hispanic (5.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%). 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 Chieppa (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 Chieppa mean?
Of Italian origin, likely derived from a geographical place name. 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 Chieppa (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 many people have the surname Chieppa?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.