Chapa History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The surname Chapa is most likely derived from the Spanish word "Chapa," which means "metal plate or sheet;" so the name may be occupational, originally born by someone who worked with metal sheets. Alternatively, this surname may be of toponymic origin, derived from the place name Chapa, in the Spanish province of Pontevedra (Galicia); or it may come from the Basque word "chaparro" (txaparro) meaning an "oak bush."
Early Origins of the Chapa family
The surname Chapa was first found in Andalusia.
Early History of the Chapa family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chapa research. Another 37 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1627, 1650, 1690 and 1695 are included under the topic Early Chapa History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Chapa Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Chapa, Chaparo, Chapparo, Chapat, Chaperon and others.
Early Notables of the Chapa family
Prominent among members of the family
- Chaparro of Andalusia...
- Juan Bautista Chapa (1627-1695), born Giovanni Bautista Schiapapria in Albisola, Italy, arrived in Mexico in the mid-17th century, and is now recognized as the "anonymous historian" of "Historia del N...
Chapa Ranking
In the United States, the name Chapa is the 2,685th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 1
Chapa migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Chapa Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Juan Bautista Chapa was a conquistador, discoverer, and author. He served as secretary to the governors of Nuevo Leon and Coahuila. He died April 20, 1695, at Monterey, Nuevo Leon
Chapa Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Ygnacio Chapa, who landed in Texas in 1835 2
- Ignacio Chapa, who landed in Texas in 1835 2
- Mariano Chapa, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1880 2
Chapa Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Jose Chapa, who was naturalized in Texas in 1911
Contemporary Notables of the name Chapa (post 1700) +
- Rodolfo Chapa (b. 1957), Mexican-American businessman
- Damian Robert Chapa (b. 1963), Mexican-American actor, film director and film producer
- Francisco A Chapa (1870-1924), American alderman and board of education member in San Antonio, Texas
- Miguel Ángel Granados Chapa (b. 1941), Mexican journalist writing for the Reforma newspaper
- Esther Chapa Tijerina (1904-1970), Mexican medical surgeon, writer, feminist, suffragist, trade unionist, and activist
Citations +
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)