Chapa
A surname with several possible roots, most likely tied to a Spanish word for a metal plate or badge, though the evidence here is thin.
The #2,297 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 19,461 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The excerpt provided does not give a surname entry, but it does show Spanish chapa meaning a metal plate or iron piece. As a surname, Chapa is therefore most plausibly a Spanish nickname or occupational name connected with metalwork, a badge, or some object described by that word. Because the historical evidence here is incidental rather than a direct etymological explanation, the derivation should be treated cautiously.
History
Chapa is found in Spanish-speaking regions and is also present in the United States, especially in communities with Hispanic heritage. In surname use, forms like this often began as descriptive bynames and later became hereditary family names.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In Spanish, chapa can mean a metal plate, badge, or fitting, which makes it a classic example of an ordinary object word that could become a surname.
From the historical record
“Mona. La hembra del mono. El que hace las cosas por imitar a otros. Embriaguez Torta o rosca de masa, en la que se ponen huevos con cáscaras. Chapa de hierro que usan en la pierna los toreros de a caballo. Nombre latino de anglesey. Monasterio. La cása o convento donde viven en comu- nidad las monjas. Cualquiera de…”
— Diccionario de los apellidos