Chen Family History

Chen Surname Meaning

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 陳 meaning ‘to explain’ and ‘old’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from Chen (陳) the name of a state (located mainly in present-day Henan and Anhui provinces) granted to Hu Gong Man (Duke Hu of Chen reigned 1045–986 BC). His descendants acquired 陳 the name of the state as their surname. (ii) from the surname Hou Mo Chen (侯莫陳) borne by people from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China. They adopted the surname 陳 after they moved to Luoyang (in present-day Henan province) during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD).

Mandarin form of the surname 諶 meaning ‘believe’ or ‘honestly’ in ancient Chinese: from the second element of the personal name Bi Chen (裨諶) an official in the state of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).

Alternative Mandarin form of the surname 甄 see Zhen. Variant Romanization of the surnames 程 and 成 see Cheng 1 and variant Romanization of the surname 鄭 see Zheng.

Variant Romanization of the surname 曾 see Zeng. 7: variant Romanization of the surname 岑 see Cen. 8: variant Romanization of the surname 莊 see Zhuang.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Shen, Cheng, Zhen, Che, Chon, Chez, Chan, Achen, Chew, Cain

81K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
13K	Military Records
33K	Immigration Records
10K	Census and Voter Lists
15K	Member Trees

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Where is the Chen family from?

You can see how Chen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Chen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Chen families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 34 Chen families living in Lancashire. This was about 27% of all the recorded Chen's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Chen families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Chen surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Chen

What did your Chen ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Student and Unpaid domestic duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Chen. 67% of Chen men worked as a Student and 72% of Chen women worked as an Unpaid domestic duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Chen were Seaman and Wife.

View Census Data for Chen

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Student

67%

Seaman

34%

Unpaid domestic duties

72%

Wife

29%

What Chen family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 10K census records available for the last name Chen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Chen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Chen

Passenger List

There are 33K immigration records available for the last name Chen. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Military Records

There are 13K military records available for the last name Chen. For the veterans among your Chen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Chen lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Chen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1962. The average life expectancy for Chen in 1945 was 40, and 71 in 2004.

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Chen Surname Meaning

Alternative Mandarin form of the surname 甄 see Zhen. Variant Romanization of the surnames 程 and 成 see Cheng 1 and variant Romanization of the surname 鄭 see Zheng.

Variant Romanization of the surname 曾 see Zeng. 7: variant Romanization of the surname 岑 see Cen. 8: variant Romanization of the surname 莊 see Zhuang.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Where is the Chen family from?

What did your Chen ancestors do for a living?

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Student

67%

Seaman

34%

Unpaid domestic duties

72%

Wife

29%

What Chen family records will you find?

What is the average Chen lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Chen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1962. The average life expectancy for Chen in 1945 was 40, and 71 in 2004.

Chen Family History

Chen Surname Meaning

152,000 record(s) for Chen

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Chen family from?

What did your Chen ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Chen family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Chen family history

What is the average Chen lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Chen family tree

Search for another surname

Chen Surname Meaning

152,000 record(s) for Chen

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Chen family from?

What did your Chen ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Chen family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Chen family history

What is the average Chen lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Chen family tree

Search for another surname