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

Chan, 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 Chan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chan in America

Chan is the 425th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chan surname appeared 76,664 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 26 people would have the surname Chan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chan 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 Chan

The surname Chan originated in China and has a long and storied history dating back centuries. It is believed to have derived from the Chinese character "陈," which can be translated to mean "old" or "ancient." The name was particularly prevalent in the southern regions of China, such as Guangdong and Fujian provinces.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Chan surname 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 prominent figure named Chan Ping, who served as a military general and played a crucial role in the conquest of the Baiyue tribes in southern China.

During the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD), the Chan surname gained further prominence with the rise of Chan Buddhism, a school of Mahayana Buddhism that emphasized meditation and enlightenment. Several notable Chan Buddhist monks and philosophers, such as Chan Master Huineng (638 – 713 AD), played a significant role in the development and spread of this spiritual tradition.

In the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644 AD), the Chan surname was closely associated with the Chan family of Nanhai County in Guangdong Province. This influential family produced several scholars, officials, and literary figures, including Chan Kao (1507 – 1587 AD), a renowned poet and calligrapher.

Throughout history, the Chan surname has been associated with various place names and older spellings. For instance, the city of Chancheng in Foshan, Guangdong, was once known as Chankeng, potentially derived from the Chan surname. Additionally, the Chan surname has been spelled differently in various Chinese dialects, such as Chen in Cantonese and Tran in Vietnamese.

Notable individuals with the Chan surname include:

1. Chan Bing (1909 – 1990), a Chinese martial artist and actor who gained fame in Hong Kong action films.
2. Chan Kuo-tsai (1905 – 1980), a renowned Taiwanese painter and calligrapher known for his innovative brushwork.
3. Chan Wing-tsit (1901 – 1994), a Chinese philosopher and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of Neo-Confucianism.
4. Chan Kwok-hung (1954 – present), a Hong Kong politician and social activist known as "Long Hair."
5. Chan Laiwa (1934 – 2018), a celebrated Hong Kong actress and singer who appeared in numerous Cantonese films and television series.

The Chan surname has a rich cultural heritage, spanning centuries of Chinese history and encompassing various disciplines, from military and philosophy to literature and the arts. Its enduring presence across generations and regions reflects the diverse and profound impact of this name on Chinese society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chan

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

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

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

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