Chen (surname)

Chen ([ʈʂʰə̌n]) (simplified Chinese: 陈; traditional Chinese: 陳; pinyin: Chén; Wade–Giles: Ch'en) is a common East Asian surname. It is the most common surname in Taiwan (2010)[1] and Singapore (2000).[2] Chen is also the most common family name in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Hong Kong. It is the most common surname in Xiamen, the ancestral hometown of many overseas Hoklo.[3] Besides 陳/陈, an uncommon Chinese surname 諶/谌 (Shen) can also be romanized as Chen.[4]

Chen
Chen surname in regular script
RomanizationChen (Mandarin)
Dunn (Taiwanese, Mingnamyu, Holo)
Chan (Cantonese)
Tan (Hokkien, Teochew)
Tang (Teochew)
Chin (Taishanese, Hakka, Japanese)
Zen (Wu)
Ding (Gan)
Jin (Korean)
Trần (Vietnamese)
Taing (Khmer)
Hartanto (Indonesian)
PronunciationChén (Pinyin)
Tan (Pe̍h-ōe-jī)
Can4 (Jyutping)
Language(s)Mandarin, Cantonese, Teochew, Taiwanese, Vietnamese, Korean
Origin
Language(s)Old Chinese
Word/nameGui
DerivationChen (state)
Other names
Derivative(s)Trần, Jin (Korean name)
Sae-Tang Sae-Chen Sae-Chin Sae-Tan (Thai name)
Hartanto (Chinese Indonesian)

It was listed 10th in the Hundred Family Surnames poem, in the verse 馮陳褚衛 (Feng Chen Chu Wei).

It is usually romanized as Chan in Cantonese, most widely used by those from Hong Kong, and sometimes as Chun. The spelling, Chan, is widely used in Macao and Malaysia. In many Southern Min dialects (including dialects of Hainan, Fujian, and Taiwan), the name is pronounced Tan, while in Teochew, it is pronounced Tang. In Hakka and Taishanese, the name is spelled Chin. In Wu it is pronounced Zen.

In Japanese, the surname is transliterated Chin. In Cambodia, this surname is transliterated as Taing. In Vietnam, this surname is written in Quốc Ngữ as Trần. In Thailand, this surname is the most common surname of Thai Chinese often pronounced according to Teochew dialect as Tang.

History
The Chen Clan Academy in Guangzhou, China

Chen was derived from Gui (媯), the surname of the descendants of the legendary sage king Emperor Shun. When King Wu of Zhou established the Zhou dynasty in 1046/45 BC, he enfeoffed his son-in-law Gui Man (Duke Hu of Chen). Gui Man was said to be a descendant of Emperor Shun, at the State of Chen, in modern Huaiyang County, Henan Province. Chen was conquered by Chu in 479 BC, and the people of Chen adopted the name of their former state as their surname.

During the Northern and Southern Dynasties period (420-589), Chen Baxian established the Chen Dynasty (557-589), the fourth and the last of the Southern dynasties, which was eventually destroyed by the Sui Dynasty. It was also during this period that nomadically-cultured Xianbei people had systematically assimilated into China's agrarian culture, and adopted Chinese surnames under the state directives of Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei; the Xianbei subjects whose surname of "侯莫陳" (Hóumòchén) were converted to "陳" (Chen).[5]

Fujian was the original home of a Chen clan before that migrated under "Trần Kinh" 陳京 (Chén Jīng) to Dai Viet and whose descendants established the Tran dynasty which ruled Vietnam (Dai Viet), and certain members of the clan could still speak Chinese such as when a Yuan dynasty envoy had a meeting with the Chinese speaking Tran Prince Trần Quốc Tuấn in 1282.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12]

Distribution

In 2019 Chen was again the fifth most common surname in Mainland China. It is the most common surname in the southern provinces of Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong.[13] A 2013 study found that it was the 5th most common surname, shared by 61,300,000 people or 4.610% of the population, with the province with the most being Guangdong.[14]

Other pronunciations and transliterations
Chen family ancestral temple, in Xiazai Village, Cangnan County, Zhejiang

Notable people surnamed 陳

Historical figures
  • Chen Baxian Founding Emperor of the Chen Dynasty
  • Chen Biao General of Eastern Wu
  • Chen Bozong Third Emperor of the Chen Dynasty
  • Chen Cheng (Ming dynasty)
  • Chen Deng (204-237) Politician in the late Han Dynasty
  • Chen Dao General under Warlord Liu Bei later Shu Han
  • Chen Gong (died 198) Advisor under warlord Lu Bu
  • Chen Jiongming (1878-1933), Chinese revolutionary
  • Chen Li (1810–1882), Cantonese scholar of the evidential research school
  • Chen Li, second and the last emperor of the Dahan regime in the late Yuan Dynasty of China
  • Chen Lin, naval general of Ming Dynasty and Commander-in-chief of the Battle of Noryang
  • Chen Ping (died 173 BC) Minister and Chancellor of the Han dynasty
  • Chen Qun (died 238) Official of Cao Wei
  • Chen Qian Second Emperor of the Chen Dynasty
  • Chen Sheng Rebel leader of the Dazexiang uprising during the Qin Dynasty
  • Chen Shi General of Shu Han
  • Chen Shou (233-297) Historian and Author in the Early Jin Dynasty
  • Chen Shubao Fifth and Last Emperor of the Chen Dynasty
  • Chen Shuda Official of the Sui Dynasty and Chancellor of the Tang Dynasty
  • Chen Tai (died 260) Official and General of Cao Wei
  • Chen Tang general of the Western Han Dynasty
  • Chen Wu (died 215) General under warlord Sun Quan
  • Chen Yuanyuan, concubine of Wu Sangui
  • Chen Xu Fourth Emperor of the Chen Dynasty
  • Chen Zhen (died 235) Minister of Shu Han
  • Tan Ting-pho (1895-1947), Taiwanese oil painter
  • Trần Hưng Đạo, an imperial prince, statesman and military commander of Đại Việt military forces during the Trần Dynasty.
Dynasties
  • Rulers of the Chen Dynasty
  • Rulers of the Trần Dynasty

Modern figures

Note: this list is ordered by given name commonly used in English, regardless of spelling of surname and name order.

  • Agnes Chan (born 1955), Hong Kong singer
  • Alexandre Chan, Brazilian architect
  • Alon Chen (born 1970), Israeli neuroscientist; 11th President of the Weizmann Institute of Science
  • Andrew Chan, Australian criminal executed by Indonesia; a member of Bali 9 and was executed in April 2015
  • Charles and Lee-Lee Chan, parents of Jackie Chan
  • Daniel Chan (born 1975), Hong Kong singer, songwriter and actor
  • Danny Chan (1958–1993), Hong Kong actor, singer and composer
  • Eason Chan (born 1974), Hong Kong actor and singer
  • Francis Chan (born 1967), American preacher
  • Frankie Chan (born 1951), Chinese martial arts actor, director, producer and composer
  • Chen Yi Ning (born 1979), Chinese actress based in Hong Kong
  • Jackie Chan (born 1954), Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, film director, producer, martial artist
  • Jason Chan (disambiguation)
  • Jason Keng-Kwin Chan (born 1971), Malaysian-Australian actor
  • Jaycee Chan (born 1982), American-born Hong Kong actor and singer, son of Jackie Chan
  • Johnny Chan (born 1957), Chinese-born American professional poker player
  • Jordan Chan (born 1967), Hong Kong actor and singer
  • Kim Chan (1917–2008), American actor
  • Leighton Chan (born 1961), physician and researcher
  • Margaret Chan (born 1947), Director of World Health Organization
  • Monica Chan (born 1966), Hong Kong actress and winner of Miss Hong Kong 1989
  • Moses Chan (born 1971), Hong Kong actor and model
  • Patrick Chan (born 1990), Canadian figure skater
  • Priscilla Chan (philanthropist) (born 1985), philanthropist and wife of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg
  • Priscilla Chan (singer) (born 1965), Hong Kong singer
  • Ruco Chan (born 1977), Hong Kong actor and Singer
  • Chan Siu Wing (born 1993), Hong Kong basketball player
  • Vincy Chan (born 1982), Cantopop singer from Hong Kong
  • Wing-tsit Chan (1901–1994), Chinese scholar
  • Yau-Man Chan (born 1952), Malaysian-American table tennis player, technology executive and reality TV contestant
  • José Antonio Chang (born 19 May 1958), former Prime Minister of Peru[15]
  • Anthony Chen, Physics Professor Emeritus, Nobel Prize recipient 2007 as part of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
  • Apollo Chen (born 1957), Taiwanese legislator
  • Arthur Y. Chen, Minister of Public Construction Commission of the Republic of China (1995-1996)
  • Bruce Chen (born 1977), Panamanian Major League Baseball player
  • Cheer Chen (born 1975), Taiwanese singer and songwriter
  • Chen Changwen (born 1944), Chinese politician and lawyer
  • Chen Cheng (1897–1965), Chinese politician and general, Vice President and Premier of the Republic of China
  • Chen Chi-chung (born 1966), acting Minister of Council of Agriculture of the Republic of China
  • Chen Chien-jen, (born 1951) Vice President of the Republic of China (Taiwan)
  • Chen In-chin, Chairperson of Central Election Commission of the Republic of China (2017–2018)
  • Chen Show Mao, Rhodes Scholar and Singaporean politician
  • Chen Chih-ching (born 1952), Minister of Council of Agriculture of the Republic of China (2016)
  • Chih-Ping Chen (1906–1984), diplomat for the Republic of China
  • Chen Chin-jun (born 1956), Governor of Fujian Province (2007–2008)
  • Christine Chen (born 1968), American journalist, news anchor and CEO of Chen Communications
  • Chen Chung-shin, General Secretary of the Boy Scouts of China
  • Chen Danian 陈大年 (born 1978), Chinese Internet entrepreneur
  • Chen Ding (born 1992), racewalker, 2012 Olympic champion
  • Tran Duc Luong (born 1937), Vietnam President from 1997 to 2006
  • Chen Duxiu (1879–1942), co-founder of the Communist Party of China and its first General Secretary
  • Edison Chen (born 1980), Canadian-born Hong Kong singer
  • Edward Chen (born 1945), Hong Kong economist and politician
  • Fala Chen (born 1982), Hong Kong-born American actress and singer
  • Chen Fu-hai (born 1963), Magistrate of Kinmen County
  • Chen Gang (disambiguation)
  • Chen Guangcheng (born 1971), Chinese civil rights activist
  • H. T. Chen, American dancer and choreographer
  • Chen Hong (badminton) (born 1979), Chinese former badminton player
  • Chen Hsiung-wen (born 1954), Minister of Labor of the Republic of China (2014–2016)
  • Chen Hsueh-sheng (born 1952), Magistrate of Lienchiang County (2001–2009)
  • Chen Hualan (born 1969), Chinese virologist
  • Jiebing Chen, Chinese musician who plays the erhu
  • Chen Jin (born 1986), Chinese retired badminton player
  • Jin Chen (1975–2014), a chef killed along with his wife and two sons in a suburb of Albany, New York
  • Chen Jingrun (1933–1996), Chinese mathematician
  • Jirayu Tangsrisuk (1993), Thai actor, singer and model
  • Joan Chen (born 1961), Chinese-American actress and film director
  • Joseph Zen (born 1931), Chinese Roman Catholic cardinal and former Bishop of Hong Kong
  • Joyce Chen (chef) (1917–1994), Chinese-American chef, author and television personality
  • Chen Jinn-lih, Vice President of Control Yuan (2008–2014)
  • Jiun-Shyan Chen, American engineering professor at University of California, San Diego
  • Julie Chen (born 1970), American television personality, news anchor and producer
  • Chen Kaige (born 1952), Chinese film director
  • Kanok Ratwongsakul (born 1963), Thai journalist and anchorman
  • Karen Chen (born 1999), American figure skater
  • Kawee Tanjararak (born 1980), Thai singer and actor
  • Kelly Chen (born 1972), Hong Kong actress and singer
  • Chen Kenichi (born 1956), Japanese chef on the syndicated TV program Iron Chef
  • Chen Kenmin (1912-1990), father of Chen Kenichi, and a prominent Chinese chef in Japan
  • Chen Kuang-fu (born 1955), Magistrate of Penghu County
  • Chen Lifu (1900-2001), Chinese politician, Minister of Education of the Republic of China
  • Chen Linong (born 2000), Taiwanese singer and actor, former member of Nine Percent
  • Chen Liping (born 1965), Singaporean actress
  • Chen Lu (born 1976), Chinese figure skater
  • Mei-Ann Chen (born 1973), American orchestra conductor and musician
  • Chen Mengjia (1911–1966), Chinese scholar and archaeologist
  • Mingdong Chen mass murderer
  • Napa Kiatwanchai (born 1967), Thai professional boxer (born as Suwit Sae-tang)
  • Nathan Chen (born 1999), American figure skater
  • Peter P. Chen (born 1947), computer scientist, inventor of the Entity-Relationship Model
  • Robert Chen (born 1969), violinist and Concertmaster of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
  • Roger H. Chen (born 1950s), Taiwanese-born American businessman, founder of the 99 Ranch Market supermarket chain
  • Chen Shaoguo (born 1971), Chinese former racewalker
  • Chen Hongyu 陳泓宇 Shaun Chen (born 3 November 1978), Malaysian actor in Singapore
  • Chen Shi-Zheng, Chinese-born American theater director
  • Shiing-Shen Chern (1911–2004), Chinese-American mathematician
  • Chen Shui-bian (born 1950), President of the Republic of China (2000–2008)
  • Chen Shui-tsai (born 1948), Magistrate of Kinmen County (1991–2001)
  • Sisy Chen (born 1958), Taiwanese politician and television commentator
  • Chen Shyh-kwei (born 1952), Governor of Fujian Province (2013)
  • Steve Chen (born 1978), co-founder of YouTube
  • Steve Chen (computer engineer) (born 1944), supercomputer designer and entrepreneur
  • Surachai Danwattananusorn (born 1942), Thai political activist
  • Jin Sun-Yu (born 1988), South Korean short-track speed skater
  • Terry Chen (born 1975), Canadian actor
  • Chen Tianwen (born 1963), Singaporean actor
  • Trần Độ (1923–2002), lieutenant general of the People's Army of Vietnam and political reformer
  • Chen Tze-chung (born 1958), Taiwanese professional golfer also known as T. C. Chen
  • Chen Wei (dissident) (born 1969), Chinese dissident and human rights activist
  • Wei-Yin Chen (born 1985), Major League Baseball pitcher from Taiwan
  • Chen Wei-zen (born 1953), Deputy Mayor of Taipei City (2010–2013)
  • Chen Xiaoxu (1965–2007), Chinese actress
  • Chen Yi (communist) (1901–1972), Chinese communist military commander and politician, Mayor of Shanghai and Foreign Minister
  • Chen Yi (composer) (born 1953), Chinese violinist and composer
  • Chen Yi (Kuomintang) (1883–1950), Chief Executive of Taiwan Province
  • Chen Yonglin, Chinese communist diplomat who defected to Australia in 2005
  • Chen Yu (badminton) (born 1980), Chinese badminton player
  • Chen Yuh-chang (born 1955), Deputy Mayor of Taipei City (2006)
  • Chen Zhi, Chinese guitar teacher and promoter
  • Chen Zhu (born 1953), Chinese hematologist, molecular biologist, and politician, former Minister of Health
  • Arthur Chin (1913–1997), Chinese-American fighter ace in the Second Sino-Japanese War, recognized as the United States' first ace in World War II
  • Ming Chin (born 1942), Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court
  • Chin Peng (1924–2013), longtime leader of the Malayan Communist Party
  • Chin Sophonpanich (1908–1988), Thai entrepreneur who founded Bangkok Bank
  • Chatri Sophonpanich (1934–2018), Thai businessman, son of Chin Sophonpanich
  • Chartsiri Sophonpanich (1959), Thai banker, son of Chatri Sophonpanich, grandson of Chin Sophonpanich
  • Vincent "Randy" Chin (1937–2003), Jamaican record producer and label owner, founder of VP Records
  • Desmond Tan, Chen Jiongjiang 陳泂江 (born 19 August 1986), Singaporean actor
  • Julie Tan, Chen Xinqi 陈欣淇 (born September 22, 1992), Malaysian born Singaporean actress and model.
  • Lucio Tan (陈永栽) (born 1934), Filipino-Chinese businessman and owner of Philippine Airlines
  • Michael Tan, a Chinese Filipino medical anthropologist and the 10th Chancellor of the University of the Philippines Diliman
  • Romeo Tan, Chen Luomiou 陈罗密欧 (born 9 April 1985), Singaporean actor
  • Sandi Tan (born 1972), Singaporean filmmaker and critic
  • Tan Boon Teik (陈文德) (1929–2012), former Attorney-General of Singapore
  • Tan Cheng Bock (born 1940), Singaporean politician and doctor
  • Tan Cheng Lock (1883–1960), founder of the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) and an important figure during the independence of Malaya
  • Tan Kah Kee (1874–1961), Chinese businessman, community leader and philanthropist in colonial Singapore and China
  • Tan Khoen Swie (1883/1894–1953), Indonesian publisher
  • Tan Siew Sin, a Malaysian politician
  • Tony Tan (born 1940), seventh President of Singapore
  • Tony Tan-Caktiong (陳覺中), a Chinese Filipino businessman

Fictional

References
  1. "Common Chinese Names". Technology.chtsai.org. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  2. "Statistics Singapore - Popular Chinese Surnames in Singapore". Archived from the original on 23 February 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  3. 厦门第一大姓陈氏：先辈300万贯钱买厦门岛. China Review News (in Chinese). 1 October 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  4. "谌(諶) Shèn 名 姓。另见162页 chén。")現代漢語詞典(第七版). Contemporary Chinese Dictionary (Seventh Edition). Commercial Press. 1 September 2016. p. 1165. ISBN 978-7-100-12450-8.
  5. "Web.archive.org". Archived from the original on 10 September 2004.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  6. Taylor 2013, p. 120.
  7. Taylor 2013, p. 103.
  8. ed. Hall 2008, p. 159.
  9. eds. Dutton & Werner & Whitmore 2013 .
  10. Gunn 2011, p. 112.
  11. Embree & Lewis 1988, p. 190.
  12. Woodside 1971, p. 8.
  13. http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2020/01/20/676822.html
  14. 中国四百大姓, 袁义达, 邱家儒, Beijing Book Co. Inc., 1 January 2013
  15. Xinhua News Agency. "秘鲁改组内阁 华裔　何塞·陈出任总理". 15 September 2010. Accessed 22 December 2016.

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