2000
#35,721
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 595
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.22
Rare Last name
Cen
A surname relating to or derived from the Turkish word for heaven or paradise.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,101 Americans carry the last name Cen. That puts it at #15,413 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 163,139 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cen surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 163,139
Census rank
#15,413
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,832 bearers of the surname Cen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15413th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cen, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and White (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cen
Among Census respondents with the surname Cen, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and White (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Cen bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Cen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.4% · 1,711
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 77
- White1.6% · 30
- Black or African American0.5% · 10
- Two or more races0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cen
Cen appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#21,184
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,239
+644 bearers (+108.2%)
Per 100,000 0.42
Rank movement Up 14,537 places
2020
#15,413
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,832
+593 bearers (+47.9%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 5,771 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #35,721 | 595 | 0.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,184 | 1,239 | 0.42 | +644 bearers (+108.2%) | Up 14,537 places |
| 2020 | #15,413 | 1,832 | 0.61 | +593 bearers (+47.9%) | Up 5,771 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Cen surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #21,184 | #15,413 | 27.2% |
| Count | 1,239 | 1,832 | 47.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.42 | 0.61 | 45.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cen bearers went from 1,239 to 1,832 (+47.9% change). The surname moved up 5,771 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,184 to #15,413.
FAQ
Cen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cen?
Name Census estimates that about 2,101 living Americans carry the surname Cen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 163,139 residents.
How common is Cen?
Cen ranks #15,413 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,832 people with the surname Cen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,101), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Cen.
Has Cen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cen went from 1,239 recorded bearers to 1,832. That is an increase of 593 (+47.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #21,184 to #15,413.
What does the Census say about the background of Cen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cen, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and White (1.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (1,711 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.4%), Hispanic (4.2%), White (1.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Cen (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Cen mean?
A surname relating to or derived from the Turkish word for heaven or paradise. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Cen (0.61 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Cen?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.