2000
#14,599
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,870
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Chiodo
A surname of Italian origin meaning "nail."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,876 Americans carry the last name Chiodo. That puts it at #16,978 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 182,705 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chiodo 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
1.9K
1 in 182,705
Census rank
#16,978
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,636 bearers of the surname Chiodo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16978th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chiodo, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chiodo
The surname Chiodo has its origins in Italy, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "chiodo," which means "nail" or "spike." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with a metalworker or someone involved in the production or trade of nails.
The earliest known usage of the name Chiodo can be traced back to the city of Naples in the southern region of Campania. Records from the 1200s mention individuals with this surname residing in the area, indicating a strong presence in this part of Italy during the medieval period.
As the name spread across Italy, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged. Some historical documents reference the name as "Chiodi" or "Chiodus," reflecting the influence of local dialects and scribal practices.
One notable early reference to the Chiodo name can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Barese," a collection of medieval documents from the city of Bari in the Apulia region, dating back to the 11th century. This suggests that the name may have been present in southern Italy even before its documented appearance in Naples.
Throughout the centuries, several individuals with the Chiodo surname have left their mark in various fields. One such figure was Giovanni Battista Chiodo (1522-1590), a renowned Italian painter and architect from Naples who contributed to the design and renovation of several churches and palaces in the city.
Another notable bearer of the name was Niccolò Chiodo (1648-1719), a Venetian painter known for his religious works and portraits. His paintings can be found in various churches and galleries throughout Venice and the surrounding regions.
In the realm of literature, Antonio Chiodo (1770-1842) was an Italian poet and playwright from Naples. He wrote several comedies and tragedies that were performed in theaters across Italy during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Moving forward in time, Giuseppe Chiodo (1890-1964) was an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, representing the region of Apulia in the early 20th century.
Finally, one cannot overlook the contributions of Domenico Chiodo (1908-1990), an Italian mathematician and professor who made significant advancements in the fields of functional analysis and partial differential equations.
While the Chiodo surname may have originated from humble beginnings, its bearers have left a lasting impact across various facets of Italian history and culture, spanning the arts, politics, academia, and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chiodo
Among Census respondents with the surname Chiodo, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Chiodo 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 Chiodo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 1,535
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 57
- Two or more races2.0% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 9
- Black or African American0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chiodo
Chiodo 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
#15,727
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,854
-16 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 1,128 places
2020
#16,978
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,636
-218 bearers (-11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.55
Rank movement Down 1,251 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,599 | 1,870 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,727 | 1,854 | 0.63 | -16 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 1,128 places |
| 2020 | #16,978 | 1,636 | 0.55 | -218 bearers (-11.8%) | Down 1,251 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 Chiodo 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 | #15,727 | #16,978 | -8.0% |
| Count | 1,854 | 1,636 | -11.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.55 | -13.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chiodo bearers went from 1,854 to 1,636 (-11.8% change). The surname moved down 1,251 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,727 to #16,978.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Chiodo
FAQ
Chiodo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chiodo?
Name Census estimates that about 1,876 living Americans carry the surname Chiodo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 182,705 residents.
How common is Chiodo?
Chiodo ranks #16,978 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.55 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,636 people with the surname Chiodo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,876), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.55 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Chiodo.
Has Chiodo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chiodo went from 1,854 recorded bearers to 1,636. That is a decrease of 218 (-11.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,727 to #16,978.
What does the Census say about the background of Chiodo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chiodo, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Chiodo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (1,535 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chiodo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Chiodo (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 Chiodo mean?
A surname of Italian origin meaning "nail." 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 Chiodo (0.55 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 Americans have the surname Chiodo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.