2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Choina
A place name referring to someone from China or Chinese descent.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Choina. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Choina 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Choina in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Choina, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Choina
The surname Choina originates from Poland, with its roots traced back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "choina," which translates to "pine tree" or "fir tree." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with families residing near or involved in the forestry or timber trade.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Choina surname can be found in the Akta Grodzkie, a collection of court records from the Kingdom of Poland, dating back to the late 15th century. These records indicate that individuals bearing this name were present in the regions of Krakow and Sandomierz during that period.
In the 17th century, the Choina name appeared in the Metryka Koronna, a set of administrative records maintained by the Crown Chancery of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This suggests that the Choina family had established itself as a notable presence within the nobility or landed gentry of the time.
Notable individuals with the Choina surname include Jan Choina (1551-1617), a prominent Polish nobleman and military leader who served as a Castellan of Biecz and participated in numerous battles against the Ottomans and Swedes. Another notable figure was Katarzyna Choina (1635-1699), a Polish noblewoman and philanthropist known for her charitable work and support of religious institutions.
In the 18th century, the Choina name was recorded in the Parish records of Krakow, indicating the family's continued presence in the region. During this period, Andrzej Choina (1720-1795) was a renowned Polish scholar and philosopher who contributed significantly to the intellectual discourse of the Polish Enlightenment.
Moving into the 19th century, the Choina surname was associated with several notable figures, including Józef Choina (1801-1879), a Polish painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and religious works, and Walerian Choina (1845-1913), a Polish engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early agricultural machinery.
Throughout its history, the Choina surname has maintained a strong connection to its Polish roots, with many descendants continuing to reside in various regions of the country. While the name may have evolved in spelling or pronunciation over time, its origins can be traced back to the symbolic pine or fir tree, representing a deep-rooted connection to the natural landscapes and forestry traditions of Poland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Choina
Among Census respondents with the surname Choina, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Choina 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 Choina surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino8.0% · 9
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Choina
Choina 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
-7 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,201 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,072 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 15,201 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 4,072 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 Choina 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 | #147,221 | -2.8% |
| Count | 116 | 113 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Choina bearers went from 116 to 113 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 4,072 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #147,221.
FAQ
Choina surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Choina?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Choina. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Choina?
Choina ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Choina. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Choina.
Has Choina become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Choina went from 116 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Choina?
Among Census respondents with the surname Choina, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Choina in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Choina appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (8.0%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Choina (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 Choina mean?
A place name referring to someone from China or Chinese descent. 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 Choina (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 Choina?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.