Explore the Family Name Cen
The meaning of Cen
Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 岑, referring to ‘small high hills’ or ‘precipice’ in Chinese: (i) from the placename Cen (岑), the name of a fief (located in Hancheng in present-day Shaanxi province), which was granted to Qu, nephew of King Wen of Zhou (1152–1056 BC), by King Wu of Zhou (c.1087–43 BC). (ii) for some families, this surname can be traced back to certain minority ethnic groups in ancient southern China.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cen in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname "Cen" experienced significant growth in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked as the 35,721st most common surname, but by 2010, it had risen to the 21,184th spot, reflecting a 40.7% increase in rank. The count of people with the Cen surname also more than doubled, growing from 595 to 1,239, an increase of 108.24%. Similarly, the proportion of individuals with this surname per 100,000 people nearly doubled from 0.22 to 0.42, marking a 90.91% increase.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #35,721 | #21,184 | 40.7% |
| Count | 595 | 1,239 | 108.24% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.22 | 0.42 | 90.91% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cen
The ethnicity associated with the surname "Cen" also saw some shifts between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The majority of individuals with the Cen surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander in both years, though there was a slight increase of 0.19% from 89.58% to 89.75%. The percentage identifying as White decreased by nearly half from 2.52% to 1.29%. Notably, the percentage of individuals identifying as Hispanic increased by 10.57% from 6.72% to 7.43%, and those identifying as Black or as two or more races appeared for the first time in 2010 at 0.56% and 0.97% respectively. There were no individuals who identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 89.58% | 89.75% | 0.19% |
| Hispanic | 6.72% | 7.43% | 10.57% |
| White | 2.52% | 1.29% | -48.81% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0.97% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0.56% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |