Names / Chen
Is Chen a first name or a last name?
Chen is a family name (last name). It is mostly a family name in China, Taiwan, the United States and Hong Kong.
Chen is a very common Chinese family name, spelled Chan in Hong Kong and Tan in Singapore and Malaysia.
How to address someone called Chen
- China. Chen is a family name and is usually written first. Write Dear Mr. Chen or Dear Ms. Chen, or use the full name if you cannot tell which title fits.
- Taiwan. Chen is a family name and is usually written first. Write Dear Mr. Chen or Dear Ms. Chen, or use the full name if you cannot tell which title fits.
- United States. Chen is a family name, usually written last. Write Dear Mr. Chen or Dear Ms. Chen.
- Hong Kong. Chen is a family name and is usually written first. Write Dear Mr. Chen or Dear Ms. Chen, or use the full name if you cannot tell which title fits.
Not sure which part of a full name is which? Check the full name with the country where the person is based.
Chen by country
People recorded in Wikidata who carry Chen as a family name or as a given name, by country of citizenship (4,464 in total).
| Country | As family name | As given name | Family name share |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 2,045 | 42 | 98% |
| Taiwan | 1,637 | 6 | 100% |
| United States | 184 | 8 | 96% |
| Hong Kong | 111 | 3 | 97% |
| Malaysia | 76 | 2 | 97% |
| Singapore | 61 | 0 | 100% |
| Vietnam | 54 | 1 | 98% |
| Israel | 8 | 40 | 17% |
| Canada | 41 | 4 | 91% |
| Australia | 17 | 1 | 94% |
Wikidata covers notable people, so counts show how the name is used, not how many people carry it.
Chen in the United States
- As a surname: about 169,580 people in the 2010 census, rank 150 among US surnames.
- As a first name: 221 babies born between 1950 and 2017.
More on this naming tradition: How Chinese names work.
Related names
Li · Wang · Zhang · Yang · Liu · Huang · Wu · Xu · Zhou · Yu