Our answer
The south-east’s surname, No. 5 in China 陈
Traditional form 陳; named after the ancient state of Chen in today’s Henan
The short answer
Chen (陈, traditional 陳, Chén) is a Chinese surname taken from the ancient state of Chen; the character can mean ‘to set out’ or ‘old’. It is the fifth most common surname in China (Ministry of Public Security, 2019), about 61.3 million people in 2013. It is spelled Chan in Cantonese and Tan in Hokkien and Teochew.
| In Chinese | 陈 (simplified) / 陳 (traditional) |
|---|---|
| Pinyin | Chén (second, rising tone) |
| Rank in China (2019) | No. 5 of the 100 most common surnames |
| Other spellings | Chan (Cantonese), Tan (Hokkien, Teochew), Chin (Hakka), Ch’en (Wade–Giles), Trần (Vietnamese) |
| Meaning of the character | ‘To set out, describe’ or ‘old’; the name comes from the state of Chen |
| Largest in | Guangdong, Fujian and Zhejiang (2019) |
| Population | About 61.3 million in mainland China, 4.61% of the population (2013) |
Origins of the Chen surname
Chen is a place name turned surname. Tradition traces the family back to the legendary sage-king Shun. Around 1046 BC King Wu of Zhou gave one of Shun’s descendants, his son-in-law Gui Man, a fief called Chen, in what is now Huaiyang County in Henan; Gui Man is remembered as Duke Hu of Chen.
When the state of Chen was absorbed by its neighbour Chu in 479 BC, its people took the name of their former state as their surname.
The character 陳 is written with the 阝 radical and 東 (‘east’), which gives the sound. As an ordinary word it can mean to set out or describe, or ‘old’. For how Chen compares with the other leading names, see our guide to Chinese surnames.[2]
How Chen is spelled around the world
Because so many overseas Chinese families came from Guangdong and Fujian, where Chen is the top name, it has more familiar spellings abroad than almost any other surname.[1][2]
| Spelling | Where | Language or dialect |
|---|---|---|
| Chen | Mainland China, Taiwan | Mandarin (pinyin) |
| Ch’en | Older Western books and maps | Mandarin (Wade–Giles) |
| Chern | Some families, e.g. the mathematician Chern Shiing-Shen | Mandarin (Gwoyeu Romatzyh) |
| Chan | Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines | Cantonese |
| Tan | Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand | Hokkien, Teochew, Hainanese |
| Tang, Taing | Thailand, Cambodia | Teochew |
| Chin | Hakka and Taishanese communities; Japan | Hakka, Taishanese; Japanese |
| Ting, Ding | Fuzhou communities | Fuzhou (Eastern Min) |
| Zen | Shanghai | Shanghainese (Wu) |
| Trần | Vietnam | Vietnamese |
| Jin, Chin | Korea | Korean |
Where Chen is most common
Chen is above all a name of the south-east. In the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 report it was the largest surname in three provinces: Guangdong, Fujian and Zhejiang. A 2013 study by the Fuxi Institution put it at 4.61% of China’s population, about 61.3 million people, with Guangdong home to the largest number. In 2020 the top five surnames, Wang, Li, Zhang, Liu and Chen, together covered 30.8% of the registered population.
It is also the leading surname in Hong Kong and Macau, where an estimated 700,000 to 800,000 people are called Chen or Chan in Hong Kong alone, and it has been the most common surname in Taiwan (2010) and Singapore (2000).
Overseas it is often called the most common Chinese surname of all. Among Chinese Filipinos, Tan (陳) was the most common surname in 2020, with 123,290 people, and the United States had about 187,000 Chens in 2014.[1][2][3][4]
Famous people named Chen, Chan or Tan
| Name | Chinese | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Chen Shou | 陈寿 | Historian, author of the Records of the Three Kingdoms |
| Xuanzang (born Chen Yi) | 陈祎 | Tang dynasty Buddhist monk and traveller to India |
| Chen Zi’ang | 陈子昂 | Tang dynasty poet |
| Chen Kaige | 陈凯歌 | Film director |
| Eason Chan | 陈奕迅 | Hong Kong singer and actor |
| Joan Chen | 陈冲 | Actress and director |
| Chern Shiing-Shen | 陈省身 | Mathematician |
| Chen Jingrun | 陈景润 | Mathematician, known for Chen’s theorem |
| Nathan Chen | 陈巍 | American figure skater, 2022 Olympic champion |
| Tan Kah Kee | 陈嘉庚 | Singaporean businessman and philanthropist |
| Tony Tan Caktiong | 陈觉中 | Founder of the Jollibee fast-food chain in the Philippines |
Questions readers ask
What does the Chen surname mean?
It comes from the state of Chen, an ancient fief in today’s Henan whose people took its name after it fell in 479 BC. As an ordinary word, 陈 can mean to set out or describe, or ‘old’.
Is Chen a Chinese last name?
Yes. It is the fifth most common surname in mainland China (Ministry of Public Security, 2019) and the top surname in Guangdong, Fujian and Zhejiang.
How common is Chen in China?
A 2013 study put it at about 61.3 million people, 4.61% of the population. In 2020 Wang, Li, Zhang, Liu and Chen together covered 30.8% of China’s registered population.
How do you pronounce Chen?
Chén is said with a rising tone. The ‘ch’ is as in ‘church’ and the vowel is a short, neutral sound, roughly ‘chun’.
Is Chan the same as Chen?
Usually, yes. Chan is the Cantonese spelling of 陈, used in Hong Kong, Macau and much of the diaspora.
Is Tan a Chinese surname?
Yes. Tan is the Hokkien, Teochew and Hainanese spelling of 陈 (Chen), and it is one of the most common surnames in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Is Tran the same as Chen?
Trần is the Vietnamese reading of the same character, 陳, so the two names are written with the same character.
Is Chen the most common surname in Taiwan?
Yes, it was the most common surname in Taiwan in 2010, and it is the top surname in Hong Kong too.
Sources
- Wikipedia, List of common Chinese surnames · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Chen (surname) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- The Paper (澎湃新闻), Ministry of Public Security 2019 surname report · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- The Paper (澎湃新闻), Ministry of Public Security 2020 names report · accessed 1 Nov 2026
Update log. 1 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 1 February 2027. Suggest a correction