2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Chiofolo
A variant or corruption of the Italian surname "Chiofalo" deriving from a nickname for someone with curly or frizzy hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Chiofolo. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chiofolo 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Chiofolo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chiofolo, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.6%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chiofolo
The surname Chiofolo originated in Sicily, Italy during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Italian word "chiofola", which refers to a small hole or opening, suggesting a possible connection to a geographical feature or location where the name first emerged.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chiofolo can be found in a 14th-century document from the town of Enna, located in the central region of Sicily. This document mentions a certain Guglielmo Chiofolo, who was a landowner and prominent figure in the local community.
During the 15th century, the name Chiofolo appeared in several historical records from the city of Palermo, the capital of Sicily. Notable individuals bearing this surname included Francesco Chiofolo, a merchant and trader who lived between 1420 and 1487, and Antonino Chiofolo, a respected lawyer who served as a judge in the city's courts from 1458 to 1502.
In the 16th century, the Chiofolo family established themselves in the town of Ragusa, located in southeastern Sicily. One of the most prominent members of this branch was Giuseppe Chiofolo (1528-1602), a skilled architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the region.
As the centuries passed, the Chiofolo surname spread to other parts of Italy and beyond. In the late 18th century, a Giovanni Chiofolo (1765-1832) from Naples gained recognition as a talented painter, whose works can still be found in various galleries and museums throughout Italy.
Another notable figure with the Chiofolo surname was Vincenzo Chiofolo (1819-1879), a Sicilian playwright and poet who was celebrated for his contributions to the literary and cultural scene of his time. His plays and poems often explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition, earning him a dedicated following among the intellectual circles of the era.
While the surname Chiofolo may not be as widespread as some other Italian names, it has a rich history rooted in the cultural fabric of Sicily and has produced notable individuals across various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chiofolo
Among Census respondents with the surname Chiofolo, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.6%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Chiofolo 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 Chiofolo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.5% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino11.6% · 14
- Two or more races3.3% · 4
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chiofolo
Chiofolo 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+13 bearers (+12.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,946 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+5 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,840 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.6%) | Up 3,946 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.3%) | Up 1,840 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 Chiofolo 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 | #143,149 | #141,309 | 1.3% |
| Count | 116 | 121 | 4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chiofolo bearers went from 116 to 121 (+4.3% change). The surname moved up 1,840 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #141,309.
FAQ
Chiofolo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chiofolo?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Chiofolo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Chiofolo?
Chiofolo ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Chiofolo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Chiofolo.
Has Chiofolo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chiofolo went from 116 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 5 (+4.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #143,149 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Chiofolo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chiofolo, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.6%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Chiofolo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.5% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chiofolo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.5%), Hispanic (11.6%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Chiofolo (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 Chiofolo mean?
A variant or corruption of the Italian surname "Chiofalo" deriving from a nickname for someone with curly or frizzy hair. 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 Chiofolo (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 Chiofolo?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Chiofolo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.