Find out how popular the last name Cen is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cen.

Cen, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cen in America

Cen is the 21184th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cen surname appeared 1,239 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Cen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cen to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cen

The surname CEN has its origins in medieval China, where it first appeared in the 12th century during the Song Dynasty. It is believed to have derived from the Chinese word "cen," which means "to humble" or "to yield," reflecting a tradition of humility and deference.

The name CEN was initially concentrated in the coastal regions of southeastern China, particularly in the provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian. Records from this period show various spellings, such as Cen, Tsen, and Tseng, reflecting the diverse dialects and linguistic variations of the time.

One of the earliest documented references to the name CEN can be found in the "Zhejiang Tong Zhi," a historical chronicle compiled in the 14th century during the Yuan Dynasty. This work mentions several prominent CEN families who held influential positions in local governance and scholarly circles.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the CEN surname was Cen Zhongmian, a celebrated poet and calligrapher born in 1519. His works were widely praised and included in several anthologies of the Ming Dynasty.

Another historical figure of note is Cen Jiaying, a military strategist and general who played a pivotal role in the defense of the southern coastal regions against Japanese pirate raids in the late 16th century.

During the Qing Dynasty, the CEN surname gained further prominence with Cen Yuying, a highly respected scholar and educator born in 1723. He established several renowned academies and was known for his contributions to the fields of literature and philosophy.

In the late 19th century, a renowned figure with the CEN surname was Cen Chunxuan, a pioneering diplomat who served as China's first ambassador to the United States, appointed in 1878. His efforts laid the groundwork for diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Another prominent individual from this era was Cen Kexiu, a revolutionary leader and political activist born in 1872. He played a significant role in the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which overthrew the Qing Dynasty and established the Republic of China.

The CEN surname has a rich historical legacy spanning centuries, with notable individuals contributing to various fields, including literature, military strategy, education, diplomacy, and political reform.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cen

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cen.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cen was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cen has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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