Chee
A Chinese surname or unisex given name of unclear meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 438 living Americans carry the first name Chee. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 60.9% of registrations being male. The average person named Chee today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chee births was 1991 (36 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chee. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
438
~ 1 in 782,544 Americans
Peak year
1991
36 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2001 SSA rank
#7,647
Tracked since 1920
Gender
Gender distribution for Chee
Chee is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 534 total registrations, 325 (60.9%) were male and 209 (39.1%) were female.
Chee as a male name
- Ranked #7,647 in 2001
- 8 male births in 2001
- Peak: 1991 (22 births)
Chee as a female name
- Ranked #14,172 in 1997
- 5 female births in 1997
- Peak: 1992 (19 births)
Popularity
Chee: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chee from the 1920s through to the 2000s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 233 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chee by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Chee during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Chees live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Minnesota, Arizona recorded the most babies named Chee, while New York, New Mexico, Wisconsin recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 29 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Chee
The name Chee has its origins in various East Asian cultures and languages. It is believed to have derived from the Chinese word "chǐ," meaning "to strive" or "to exert oneself." This name was commonly used in ancient China, particularly during the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), when it was associated with industriousness and diligence.
In Korean culture, the name Chee is a variation of the name "Chi," which means "wisdom" or "intelligence." It was often given to children with the hope that they would grow up to be wise and knowledgeable individuals. The earliest recorded use of this name in Korea dates back to the Goryeo Dynasty (918–1392 AD).
In Japanese culture, the name Chee is a derivative of the word "chi," which can mean "knowledge," "wisdom," or "energy." It was often given to children as a symbol of their potential for intellectual growth and vitality. Historical records indicate that this name was in use during the Heian period (794–1185 AD).
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Chee was Chee Han, a renowned Chinese philosopher and scholar who lived during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220 AD). He is known for his contributions to the development of Confucian thought and his influential work, "The Analects of Chee Han."
Another notable figure was Chee Sung, a Korean Buddhist monk who lived during the Goryeo Dynasty (918–1392 AD). He is celebrated for his role in spreading Buddhism throughout the Korean peninsula and for his teachings on meditation and mindfulness.
In Japan, one of the most famous individuals with the name Chee was Chee Shogun, a military leader and shogun who ruled during the Kamakura period (1185–1333 AD). He is credited with establishing the Shogunate system of government and consolidating the power of the samurai class.
During the Ming Dynasty in China (1368–1644 AD), Chee Xuan was a renowned artist and calligrapher. His works are highly regarded for their elegance and mastery of traditional Chinese brush strokes.
In more recent times, Chee Hoon, a South Korean actress and singer born in 1979, has gained international recognition for her performances in various films and television dramas.
People
Chee + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chee as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Chee: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chee?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 438 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chee going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 782,544 US residents.
Is Chee a common name?
We classify Chee as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 534 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chee most popular?
The single biggest year for Chee was 1991, when 36 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chee is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Chee a male name?
Yes, 60.9% of people registered as Chee in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.