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

Tchen, 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 Tchen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tchen in America

Tchen is the 120187th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tchen surname appeared 144 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 Tchen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tchen 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 Tchen

The surname TCHEN is of Chinese origin, tracing its roots back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) in China. It is believed to have originated from the region around modern-day Guangdong and Guangxi provinces in southern China.

The name TCHEN is thought to be derived from the Chinese word "chen," which means "dust" or "powder." This suggests that the name may have been associated with occupations or activities related to the processing or handling of powdery substances, such as millers, miners, or artisans working with pigments or dyes.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name TCHEN can be found in the "Xin Tang Shu" (New Book of Tang), a historical text compiled in the 11th century AD. This text mentions a family with the surname TCHEN that held official positions during the Tang Dynasty.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the TCHEN family is known to have produced several scholars and officials. Notable figures from this period include TCHEN Shao-yi (1015-1079), a renowned poet and calligrapher, and TCHEN Hui-wen (1072-1138), a high-ranking government official and author.

In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the TCHEN surname gained prominence in various regions of China. One notable figure was TCHEN Chun-qi (1553-1617), a military strategist and commander who played a crucial role in suppressing the Turfan Rebellion in western China.

During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), the TCHEN family continued to produce scholars and officials. TCHEN Qing-tao (1722-1789) was a renowned scholar and educator who served as a tutor to the imperial family. TCHEN Wen-cheng (1829-1898) was a prominent diplomat and statesman who helped negotiate treaties with foreign powers.

In more recent history, TCHEN Hsi-sheng (1888-1975) was a notable mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the field of electromagnetic theory. TCHEN Jing-ren (1920-1998) was a respected archaeologist and historian who specialized in the study of ancient Chinese ceramics.

While the surname TCHEN is predominantly found in China, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to Chinese migration and diaspora communities. However, the focus of this report is on the historical origins and notable figures associated with the surname within China.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tchen

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

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

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

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