Chien first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Chien has been for the last 1 years (from 1984 to 1984) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Chien

A masculine given name of Vietnamese origin meaning "soldier".

Popularity of Chien by gender

Based on the last 1 years of data, Chien is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 1984, there were 5 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Chien.

Year Male Count Female Count
1984 5 0

The history of the first name Chien

The given name Chien has its origins in the Chinese language. It is a popular name in China and other Asian countries influenced by Chinese culture, such as Vietnam and Korea. The name is derived from the Chinese word "chien," which means "dog" or "canine."

In ancient Chinese culture, the dog was revered as a symbol of loyalty, protection, and guardianship. The name Chien was often given to children with the hope that they would embody these positive traits associated with dogs. Additionally, certain zodiac signs and birth years were considered auspicious for giving a child this name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chien can be found in the Shiji, a historical record written by Sima Qian during the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). The text mentions a notable figure named Chien Tan, a military general who played a significant role in the establishment of the Han Dynasty.

Throughout Chinese history, there have been several influential individuals who bore the name Chien. One notable example is Chien Hsuan (1017 – 1073), a renowned Confucian scholar and philosopher during the Song Dynasty. His works on Confucian thought and ethics had a lasting impact on Chinese intellectual discourse.

Another prominent figure was Chien Tsai (1686 – 1752), a renowned painter and calligrapher during the Qing Dynasty. His landscape paintings and calligraphic works are celebrated as masterpieces of Chinese art and have been preserved in various museums and collections around the world.

In the realm of literature, Chien Ch'en (1890 – 1957) was a celebrated Chinese novelist and essayist. His novel, "The Frog," is considered a classic of modern Chinese literature and explores themes of societal change and personal identity during the turbulent early 20th century in China.

Lastly, Chien-Shiung Wu (1912 – 1997) was a pioneering Chinese-American physicist known for her groundbreaking work in experimental nuclear physics. Her famous Wu experiment, conducted in 1956, provided crucial evidence for the violation of parity conservation in weak interactions, a discovery that earned her numerous accolades and recognition in the scientific community.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the given name Chien, a name deeply rooted in Chinese culture and tradition, carrying connotations of loyalty, guardianship, and respect for ancient values.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Chien was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Chien, please contact us.

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"Chien first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on June 3, 2025. http://namecensus.com/first-names/chien-meaning-and-history/.

"Chien first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/chien-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 3 June, 2025

Chien first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/chien-meaning-and-history/.

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