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

Chinen, 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 Chinen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chinen in America

Chinen is the 31629th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chinen surname appeared 731 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 Chinen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chinen 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 Chinen

The surname Chinen originates from the Okinawan islands of Japan, where it has been commonly used since the 15th century. It derives from the native Okinawan language and is thought to be related to the word "chin", meaning "truth" or "reality". The name was originally found in various small villages across the Okinawan archipelago.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Chinen name appears in the Omoro Soshi, a collection of ancient Okinawan poems and songs compiled in the early 17th century. Here, a poet referred to as Chinen Pechin is mentioned as the author of several works. Unfortunately, little is known about Pechin's life or precise dates.

During the Ryukyu Kingdom period (1429-1879), the Chinen family held a prominent position as hereditary magistrates and local administrators in the village of Chinen, located on the main island of Okinawa. This village likely lent its name to the surname. In 1867, a man named Chinen Sadon (1822-1905) led a rebellion against the Ryukyu royal government, protesting economic hardships faced by the common people.

As Okinawan migration to mainland Japan increased in the late 19th century, the Chinen name began appearing in records from various regions. One notable figure was Chinen Chizo (1899-1982), a philosopher and scholar of Okinawan studies who taught at the University of Tokyo. He made significant contributions to preserving and promoting Okinawan culture and traditions.

Another individual with this surname was Chinen Tokujin (1923-2012), a renowned Okinawan musician and singer who helped popularize the traditional sanshin lute both in Japan and internationally. His performances and recordings played a pivotal role in keeping Okinawan folk music alive.

In the world of martial arts, Chinen Terukatsu (1924-2003) was a highly respected master of Okinawan karate. He trained under the legendary Chojun Miyagi and later founded his own style, Ryukyu Kempo Karate-Do. Chinen was instrumental in spreading the practice of Okinawan karate throughout Japan and abroad.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chinen

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

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

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

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