2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Iaia
A surname likely derived from an Albanian place name or toponymic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Iaia. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Iaia 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Iaia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Iaia, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Iaia
The surname IAIA is believed to have originated in Italy, where it is thought to have first appeared in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "iaia," which means "aunt" or "elderly woman." It is likely that the name was initially a nickname or descriptive name given to someone who was perceived as having an elderly or aunt-like demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the IAIA surname can be found in a document from the city of Siena, dated 1327, which mentions a certain "Iacomo Iaia." This suggests that the name was already in use in Tuscany during that time. Some variations of the spelling, such as "Iaya" or "Iaja," can also be found in historical records from various regions of Italy.
In the 15th century, the IAIA name appears to have spread beyond Tuscany, with mentions of individuals bearing the surname in Naples and other parts of southern Italy. For example, a record from 1487 mentions a "Petro Iaia" from the town of Salerno.
One notable historical figure with the IAIA surname was Francesco Iaia, a 16th-century Italian painter and architect who was active in Naples. He is known for his contributions to the design and construction of several churches and palaces in the city.
In the 17th century, the IAIA name gained some prominence in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. A notable individual from this period was Domenico Iaia (1628-1695), a Franciscan friar and scholar who was born in the town of Chieti.
Another interesting figure bearing the IAIA surname was Giuseppe Iaia (1785-1857), an Italian painter and sculptor from the town of Montemurro in Basilicata. He is known for his religious works and portraits, some of which can still be seen in churches and galleries throughout southern Italy.
Throughout its history, the IAIA surname has remained relatively concentrated in Italy, particularly in the southern regions. While it is not an exceptionally common name, it has left its mark on various aspects of Italian culture and history over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Iaia
Among Census respondents with the surname Iaia, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Iaia 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 Iaia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.4% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino11.9% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Iaia
Iaia 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
#126,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
+17 bearers (+14.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 5,348 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-18 bearers (-13.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,493 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,018 | 136 | 0.05 | +17 bearers (+14.3%) | Up 5,348 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-13.2%) | Down 17,493 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 Iaia 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 | #126,018 | #143,511 | -13.9% |
| Count | 136 | 118 | -13.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Iaia bearers went from 136 to 118 (-13.2% change). The surname moved down 17,493 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,018 to #143,511.
FAQ
Iaia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Iaia?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Iaia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Iaia?
Iaia ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Iaia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Iaia.
Has Iaia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Iaia went from 136 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 18 (-13.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,018 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Iaia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Iaia, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Iaia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Iaia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.4%), Hispanic (11.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Iaia (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 Iaia mean?
A surname likely derived from an Albanian place name or toponymic. 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 Iaia (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 Iaia?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.