Chen ([ʈʂʰə̌n]) (simplified Chinese: 陈; traditional Chinese: 陳; pinyin: Chén; Wade–Giles: Ch'en) is one of the most common East Asian surnames of Chinese origin. It ranks as the 5th most common surname in China as of 2007 and the most common surname in Singapore (2000) and Taiwan (2010). Chen is also the most common family name in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hong Kong (spelt Chan in Hong Kong and Macau). It is the most common surname in Xiamen, the ancestral hometown of many overseas Hoklo. Besides 陳/陈, an uncommon Chinese surname 諶/谌 is also romanized as Chen.
It is usually romanised 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 Min (including dialects of Chaoshan (Teochew), Hainan, Fujian, and Taiwan), the name is pronounced Tan. In Hakka and Taishanese, the name is spelled Gin. Some other Romanisations include Zen (from Wu), Ding (from Gan) and Chern. Chen can be variously spelt as Tan, Chan or Chin in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries. Chen is commonly spelled Chang in Peru.
The Korean surname 진 (Jin) is the Korean pronunciation of the same character. In Japanese, the surname is transliterated Chin.
In Vietnam, this surname is written in Quốc Ngữ as Trần and it is the second most common surname.
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).
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.
Other pronunciations and transliterations
Chen, used in Mandarin
Chan, used in Cantonese in Hong Kong, Macao, Thailand, and Malaysia
Chin, used in Hakka in Singapore and Malaysia, and Taishanese in America
Gin, used in Taishanese
Jin, used in Korean
Tan, used in Hokkien and Teochew in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Min Nan (including Taiwanese), Thailand, and Hainanese
Tang or Taing, used in Teochew, Cambodia and Thailand
Ting or Ding, used in Fuzhou
Trần, Sấn used in Vietnamese
Zen, used in Shanghainese
Sen, used as an alternative spelling in Limbu, Limbuwan
Chen Sheng Rebel Leader of the Dazexiang_Uprising during the Qin Dynasty
Chen Ping (died 173 BC) Minister and Chancellor of the Han dynasty
Chen Tang general of the Western Han Dynasty
Chen Gong (died 198) Advisor under warlord Lu Bu
Chen Wu (died 215) General under warlord Sun Quan
Chen Zhen (died 235) Minister of Shu Han
Chen Qun (died 238) Official of Cao Wei
Chen Tai (died 260) Official and General of Cao Wei
Chen Dao General under Warlord Liu Bei later Shu Han
Chen Deng (204-237) Politician in the late Han Dynasty
Chen Biao General of Eastern Wu
Chen Shi General of Shu Han
Chen Shou (233-297) Historian and Author in the Early Jin Dynasty
Chen Baxian Founding Emperor of the Chen Dynasty
Chen Qian Second Emperor of the Chen Dynasty
Chen Bozong Third Emperor of the Chen Dynasty
Chen Xu Fourth Emperor of the Chen 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 Li, second and the last emperor of the Dahan regime in the late Yuan Dynasty of China
Chen Cheng (Ming dynasty)
Chen Lin, naval general of Ming Dynasty and Commander-in-chief of the Battle of Noryang
Chen Yuanyuan, concubine of Wu Sangui
Chen Li (1810–1882), Cantonese scholar of the evidential research school
Chen Cheng
Dynasties
Rulers of the Chen Dynasty
Rulers of the Trần Dynasty
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
Andrew Chan, Australian criminal executed by Indonesia; a member of Bali 9 and was executed in April 2015
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
Tan Boon Teik (陈文德) (1929–2012), former Attorney-General of Singapore
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
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
Chih-Ping Chen (1906–1984), diplomat for the Republic of China
Christine Chen (born 1968), American journalist, news anchor and CEO of Chen Communications
Chen Chung-shin
Daniel Chan (born 1975), Hong Kong singer, songwriter and actor
Danny Chan (1958–1993), Hong Kong actor, singer and composer
Charles and Lee-Lee Chan, parents of Jackie Chan
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
Eason Chan (born 1974), Hong Kong actor and singer
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
Francis Chan (born 1967), American preacher
Frankie Chan (born 1951), Chinese martial arts actor, director, producer and composer
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
Jackie Chan (born 1954), Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, film director, producer, martial artist
Jason Chan (disambiguation)
Jaycee Chan (born 1982), American-born Hong Kong actor and singer, son of Jackie Chan
Jiebing Chen, Chinese musician who plays the erhu
Chen Jin (born 1986), Chinese retired badminton player
Chen Jingrun (1933–1996), Chinese mathematician
Jason Keng-Kwin Chan (born 1971), Malaysian-Australian actor
Joan Chen (born 1961), Chinese-American actress and film director
Johnny Chan (born 1957), Chinese-born American professional poker player
Jordan Chan (born 1967), Hong Kong actor and singer
José Antonio Chang (born 19 May 1958), former Prime Minister of Peru
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
Jiun-Shyan Chen, Taiwanese engineer
Julie Chen (born 1970), American television personality, news anchor and producer
Tan Kah Kee (1874–1961), Chinese businessman, community leader and philanthropist in colonial Singapore and China
Chen Kaige (born 1952), Chinese film director
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
Tan Khoen Swie (1883/1894–1953), Indonesian publisher
Kim Chan (1917–2008), American actor
Leighton Chan (born 1961), physician and researcher
Chen Liping (born 1965), Singaporean actress
Chen Lu (born 1976), Chinese figure skater
Lucio Tan (陈永栽) (born 1934), Filipino-Chinese businessman and owner of Philippine Airlines
Margaret Chan (born 1947), Director of World Health Organization
Mei-Ann Chen (born 1973), American orchestra conductor and musician
Chen Mengjia (1911–1966), Chinese scholar and archaeologist
Michael Tan, a Chinese Filipino medical anthropologist and the 10th Chancellor of the University of the Philippines Diliman
Ming Chin (born 1942), Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court
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
Chin Peng (1924–2013), longtime leader of the Malayan Communist Party
Peter P. Chen (born 1947), computer scientist, inventor of the Entity-Relationship Model
Priscilla Chan (philanthropist) (born 1985), philanthropist and wife of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg
Priscilla Chan (singer) (born 1965), Hong Kong singer
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 Shi-Zheng, Chinese-born American theater director
Shiing-Shen Chern (1911–2004), Chinese-American mathematician
Chen Shui-bian (born 1950), Taiwanese retired politician and lawyer, President of the Republic of China (2000-2008)
Sisy Chen (born 1958), Taiwanese politician and television commentator
Chan Siu Wing (born 1993), Hong Kong basketball player
Steve Chen (born 1978), co-founder of YouTube
Steve Chen (computer engineer) (born 1944), supercomputer designer and entrepreneur
Tony Tan-Caktiong (陳覺中), a Chinese Filipino businessman
Jin Sun-Yu (born 1988), South Korean short-track speed skater
Terry Chen (born 1975), Canadian actor
Chen Tianwen (born 1963), Singaporean actor
Tony Tan (born 1940), current President of Singapore
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
Vincent "Randy" Chin (1937–2003), Jamaican record producer and label owner, founder of VP Records
Vincy Chan (born 1982), Cantopop singer from Hong Kong
Chen Wei (dissident) (born 1969), Chinese dissident and human rights activist
Wei-Yin Chen (born 1985), Major League Baseball pitcher from Taiwan
Wing-tsit Chan (1901–1994), Chinese scholar
Chen Xiaoxu (1965–2007), Chinese actress
Yau-Man Chan (born 1952), Malaysian-American table tennis player, technology executive and reality TV contestant
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 Zhi, Chinese guitar teacher and promoter
Chen Zhu (born 1953), Chinese hematologist, molecular biologist, and politician, former Minister of Health
Julie Tan (born September 22, 1992), Malaysian born Singaporean actress and model.
Desmond Tan (born 19 August 1986), Singaporean actor
Romeo Tan (born 9 April 1985), Singaporean actor
Shaun Chen (born 3 November 1978), Malaysian actor in Singapore
Charlie Chan, a fictional detective
Chen, a character in the British science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf
Chan Ho-nam, the fictitious Hong Kong triad boss in the Young and Dangerous film series
Chen Jialuo, protagonist of the Wuxia novel The Book and the Sword
Detective Grace Chen, a central character in Martial Law
Chen, the Holy Knight, a character in the Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos custom map Defense of the Ancients.
Chen Stormstout, a hero in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne and an important character in World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria
Chen Zhen, a fictional Chinese martial artist and culture hero
Jing-Mei "Deb" Chen, a Chinese-American physician in the television drama series ER
