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

Chhen, 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 Chhen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chhen in America

Chhen is the 124548th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chhen surname appeared 138 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 Chhen.

The history of the last name Chhen

The surname CHHEN originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the state of Punjab. It can be traced back to the 16th century, and is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "chhen," which means "to cut" or "to pierce." This suggests that the name may have been associated with professions or trades related to cutting or piercing, such as blacksmithing or tailoring.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the CHHEN surname can be found in the Mughal Empire's administrative records from the late 16th century. These records mention a merchant named Gopal CHHEN who was engaged in trade between the Punjab region and other parts of the empire.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the CHHEN surname was prevalent in the city of Lahore, which was a major cultural and economic center in the Punjabi region. Several historical documents from this period mention individuals with the CHHEN surname, including Daya Ram CHHEN, a celebrated poet who lived from 1675 to 1738, and Bhai Mani Singh CHHEN, a renowned Sikh scholar and warrior who played a crucial role in the compilation of the Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred scripture of Sikhism.

In the 19th century, the CHHEN surname spread across the Indian subcontinent as people migrated for various reasons, including economic opportunities and political upheavals. One notable individual from this period was Sardar Kharak Singh CHHEN (1801-1840), a prominent military leader and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of the Sikh Empire under the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

As the British Empire expanded its influence in India, several individuals with the CHHEN surname gained recognition for their contributions in various fields. For example, Lala Duni Chand CHHEN (1844-1909) was a renowned educator and social reformer who established several schools and worked tirelessly to promote education and women's rights.

During the 20th century, the CHHEN surname continued to be associated with notable individuals, such as Bhai Vir Singh CHHEN (1872-1957), a revered Sikh scholar and writer who played a significant role in reviving and preserving Punjabi literature and culture. Another prominent figure was Sardar Harbans Singh CHHEN (1900-1985), a distinguished diplomat who served as the Indian Ambassador to several countries, including the United States and the Soviet Union.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chhen

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

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 Chhen 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.

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!