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

Chahin, 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 Chahin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chahin in America

Chahin is the 82044th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chahin surname appeared 230 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 Chahin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chahin 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 Chahin

The surname Chahin has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the Levant region, which includes modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.

One theory suggests that the name Chahin is derived from the Arabic word "shaheen," which means "falcon" or "hawk." This could indicate that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been associated with falconry or hunting, professions that were highly regarded in the region at the time.

Another possible origin is that the name is linked to the ancient town of Shaheen, located in what is now southern Syria. It is plausible that the surname Chahin originated from this place name, with individuals adopting it to identify their place of origin or residence.

Historical records and manuscripts from the region, such as Ottoman tax registers and court records, have documented the presence of individuals bearing the surname Chahin, albeit with variations in spelling like Chahine, Chahyn, or Shaheen.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Chahin can be found in a 14th-century manuscript from Damascus, Syria, which mentions a merchant named Khalil Chahin who traded in silk and spices along the Silk Road.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the surname Chahin. These include Yusef Chahin (1833-1899), a prominent Syrian scholar and theologian who authored several works on Islamic jurisprudence, and Nadia Chahin (1915-1982), a celebrated Lebanese artist and painter known for her vibrant depictions of rural life in the Levant.

Other notable individuals with the surname Chahin include Khalil Chahin (1887-1957), a Syrian politician and diplomat who served as the first ambassador of Syria to the United States, and Elias Chahin (1903-1976), a Lebanese-American writer and activist who played a significant role in the Arab-American literary movement of the 20th century.

Additionally, the name Chahin has been associated with various place names and locations throughout the Middle East, such as the village of Chahin in northern Lebanon, as well as the Chahin Valley and Chahin Mountain in Syria, further solidifying its historical roots in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chahin

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

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 Chahin 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 Chahin 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 Chahin was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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