2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Chinigo
A Portuguese surname likely derived from the place name Chinigo in Portugal.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Chinigo. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chinigo 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Chinigo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chinigo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chinigo
The surname CHINIGO is believed to have originated in the region of Galicia, located in the northwestern part of Spain. Its roots can be traced back to the 8th or 9th century AD, when the area was under the influence of the Spanish Visigoths.
One theory suggests that the name CHINIGO may have derived from the Latin word "cinctus," which means "girded" or "encircled," possibly referring to a fortified settlement or a defensive structure. Another possibility is that it stems from the Visigothic word "chingo," which translates to "warrior" or "soldier."
During the Middle Ages, the CHINIGO surname appeared in several historical documents and records. One notable mention was in the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript that served as a guide for pilgrims traveling the Camino de Santiago. The document contained references to individuals bearing the CHINIGO name in the region of Galicia.
The earliest recorded example of the CHINIGO surname dates back to the 11th century, when a nobleman named Pedro CHINIGO was listed as a landowner in the Galician town of Ribadavia. This town's name is believed to have derived from the Latin phrase "ripa daviae," meaning "bank of the river Avia."
Another prominent figure with the CHINIGO surname was Rodrigo CHINIGO, a 13th-century Galician poet and troubadour. His works were preserved in the Cancioneiro da Ajuda, a medieval Portuguese songbook compiled in the 14th century.
In the 15th century, a woman named Inés CHINIGO gained recognition as a skilled embroiderer and tapestry maker in the city of Santiago de Compostela. Her intricate works adorned the interior of the famous Santiago de Compostela Cathedral.
During the 16th century, a prominent military commander named Juan CHINIGO played a significant role in the Spanish conquest of the Americas. He was part of the expedition led by Hernán Cortés and participated in the conquest of Mexico (1519-1521).
In the 18th century, a notable figure was Antonio CHINIGO, a Galician architect who contributed to the design and construction of several churches and monasteries in the region, including the Monastery of San Clodio in Leiro.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chinigo
Among Census respondents with the surname Chinigo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Chinigo 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 Chinigo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino7.3% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chinigo
Chinigo 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+25 bearers (+23.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,772 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-23 bearers (-17.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,158 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +25 bearers (+23.4%) | Up 13,772 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -23 bearers (-17.4%) | Down 21,158 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 Chinigo 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 | #129,047 | #150,205 | -16.4% |
| Count | 132 | 109 | -17.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chinigo bearers went from 132 to 109 (-17.4% change). The surname moved down 21,158 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #150,205.
FAQ
Chinigo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chinigo?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Chinigo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Chinigo?
Chinigo ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Chinigo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Chinigo.
Has Chinigo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chinigo went from 132 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 23 (-17.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Chinigo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chinigo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Chinigo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chinigo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (7.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Chinigo (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 Chinigo mean?
A Portuguese surname likely derived from the place name Chinigo in Portugal. 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 Chinigo (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 are called Chinigo?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Chinigo is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.