UK name, mostly boys
Chen
An East Asian name meaning "morning", "sun" or "truthful".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2019. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 35 girls.
Chen is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Chen popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2019 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4702, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2007, with 10 births.
This profile covers 79 England and Wales registrations across 13 recorded years from 2005 to 2019. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 30% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 84 living people in the UK are called Chen. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2020 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Chen ranked #4702 for boys in England and Wales in 2019, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2007, when 10 boys were registered as Chen.
- • Chen ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #707 in 2016.
- • Chen is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 84 living people in the UK are estimated to have Chen as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 69.3% of Chen registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4702
2019
Births in 2019
3
Latest year
Peak year
2007
10 births
Estimated living
84
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Chen
In England and Wales birth records, Chen has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 69.3% of registrations are for boys and 30.7% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Chen registered for boys
- Ranked #4,702 in 2019
- 3 boys registered in 2019
- Peak: 2007 (10 births)
Chen registered for girls
- Ranked #4,736 in 2015
- 4 girls registered in 2015
- Peak: 2012 (7 births)
Meaning
What does Chen mean?
The given name Chen has its origins in Chinese culture, dating back to ancient times. It is a Chinese surname that has also been used as a given name. The name is derived from the Chinese word "陳," which means "to spread out" or "to exhibit."
In ancient Chinese literature, the name Chen appears in various historical records and texts. One notable reference is found in the Shijing, the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry, which dates back to the early Zhou Dynasty (1046–771 BC). The name is also mentioned in the Spring and Autumn Annals, a historical record of the State of Lu from 722 to 481 BC.
The earliest recorded individual with the name Chen is Chen Sheng, a famous leader of a peasant uprising against the Qin Dynasty in 209 BC. His rebellion, known as the Dazexing Uprising, played a significant role in the eventual fall of the Qin Dynasty and the establishment of the Han Dynasty.
Throughout Chinese history, several notable individuals have borne the name Chen. One prominent figure is Chen Duxiu (1879–1942), a revolutionary and one of the founders of the Chinese Communist Party. Another is Chen Qingying (1917–1986), a renowned scientist and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of differential geometry.
In the realm of literature, Chen Zhihao (1920–1997) was a renowned Chinese playwright and novelist, best known for his works reflecting the struggles of the Chinese people during the Cultural Revolution.
Moving to the world of martial arts, Chen Xiaowang (1949–1981) was a legendary Chen-style Taijiquan (Tai Chi) master and founder of the Chen Village Taiji Quan School, renowned for his skill and dedication to preserving the traditional Chen-style Taijiquan.
It is essential to note that the name Chen has also been used in various other cultures and languages, such as Korean and Vietnamese, where it may have different meanings and origins.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Chen over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Chen in England and Wales, from 2005 to 2019. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Chen, the clearest high point is 2007. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2019, compared with 10 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chen by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Chen was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #3607 | 44 | 8 |
| 2000s | #2521 | 35 | 5 |
Geography
Where Chen is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Chen. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Chen ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #707 in 2016.
Across the UK
Chen in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#707 in 2016
2 years of NRS records, 6 total registered
Related
Names similar to Chen
- Charlie 104,761
- Callum 65,796
- Connor 53,072
- Cameron 40,394
- Charles 33,091
- Christopher 26,849
- Caleb 15,553
- Corey 12,622
- Carter 11,505
- Cody 11,075
- Conor 10,298
- Christian 9,695
FAQ
Chen: questions and answers
How popular is the name Chen in the UK right now?
In 2019, Chen was ranked #4702 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Chen most popular?
The peak year on record was 2007, with 10 babies registered as Chen in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Chen?
An East Asian name meaning "morning", "sun" or "truthful".
How many people are called Chen in the UK?
A total of 79 babies have been registered as Chen across the 13 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 6 more in Scotland.
Where is Chen most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Chen ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #707 in 2016. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.