Chen
- Gender
- Mostly boys
- Say it
- CHEN
- Origin
- Chinese
Chen is a name of Chinese origin. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
Where does Chen come from?
Chinese: Chinese, e.g. 晨 'morning'; also Hebrew chen 'grace'
Is Chen a girl's or a boy's name?
In recent years, Chen has been given to girls and boys, mostly boys.
How popular is Chen in the UK?
No boys in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2011, with 12 boys.
Half of all the boys named Chen in the UK since 1996 were born between 2008 and 2012, the years shaded on the chart below.
Girls were 33% of the babies named Chen in the UK in 2007, and 54% in 2013.
Chen in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 3 | #4,913 |
| 2018 | 3 | #4,959 |
| 2017 | 1 | #6,312 |
| 2016 | 3 | #5,015 |
| 2015 | 3 | #4,955 |
| 2014 | 4 | #4,063 |
| 2013 | 6 | #3,096 |
| 2012 | 9 | #2,382 |
| 2011 | 12 | #1,890 |
| 2010 | 8 | #2,534 |
| 2009 | 10 | #2,084 |
| 2008 | 9 | #2,212 |
| 2007 | 10 | #1,987 |
| 2006 | 7 | #2,386 |
| 2005 | 4 | #3,330 |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 1 | #3,925 |
How popular is Chen in the US?
No boys in the US were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 1983, with 9 boys. It first appears in the records in 1977.
Half of all the boys named Chen in the US since 1880 were born between 1994 and 2015, the years shaded on the chart below.
Chen in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8 | #8,982 |
| 2023 | 0 | – |
| 2022 | 7 | #9,815 |
| 2021 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 7 | #9,548 |
| 2019 | 7 | #9,750 |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 8 | #8,835 |
| 2016 | 5 | #12,180 |
| 2015 | 8 | #8,739 |
| 2014 | 8 | #8,775 |
| 2013 | 7 | #9,650 |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 7 | #9,593 |
| 2010 | 5 | #12,224 |
| 2009 | 7 | #9,859 |
| 2008 | 5 | #12,546 |
| 2007 | 6 | #10,915 |
| 2006 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 5 | #11,464 |
| 2004 | 9 | #7,530 |
| 2003 | 5 | #10,886 |
| 2002 | 8 | #7,636 |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 5 | #10,341 |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 6 | #8,472 |
| 1997 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 9 | #5,975 |
| 1995 | 0 | – |
| 1994 | 5 | #8,794 |
| 1993 | 6 | #7,631 |
| 1992 | 0 | – |
| 1991 | 7 | #6,511 |
| 1990 | 6 | #7,171 |
| 1989 | 6 | #6,934 |
| 1988 | 0 | – |
| 1987 | 0 | – |
| 1986 | 5 | #6,715 |
| 1985 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 9 | #4,139 |
| 1982 | 0 | – |
| 1981 | 0 | – |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 7 | #4,580 |
Names like Chen
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Chozen Tru Cohen Camden Koen Kaizen Aiden Jayden Kayden Jaylen Jensen Brayden
Names related to Chen
More Chinese names
Lian Jia Mei Tai Tian Jun Mulan Yi Tao San Jian Han Mian Bao Xia Lin
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Chen: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/chen, updated 20 October 2026.