Explore the Family Name Chee
The meaning of Chee
1. Native American (Navajo): from an American English shortened and altered form of a Navajo personal name based on (or just composed of) the word łichíí’ ‘red’, such as Hastiin Chíí’ ‘Red Man’ (see Hosteen). 2. Chinese: variant of Chi. 3. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 謝, see Xie 1. 4. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 朱, see Zhu 1. 5. Korean: variant of Chi 10. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Kam, Cheng, Yong, Chan, Cheon, Chia, Chiang, Chow, Fong, Fung, Hon, Hong.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Chee in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Chee has moderately increased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname was ranked 6,914th in terms of popularity and had approximately 4,477 bearers. By 2010, it moved up to the 6,784th spot with an estimated count of 4,973 individuals bearing the name. This represents a positive change of 1.88 in rank and an 11.08% increase in count over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,914 | #6,784 | 1.88% |
| Count | 4,477 | 4,973 | 11.08% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.66 | 1.69 | 1.81% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Chee
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Chee also showed some shifts between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The largest proportion of individuals with this surname identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native, although this group saw a slight decrease of 4.35%. Asian/Pacific Islander was the next most common ethnicity, remaining relatively stable with a minor decrease of 0.22%. There was a substantial increase of 52.23% in those identifying with two or more races, bringing their proportion to 5.13% in 2010. The proportion identifying as White slightly decreased by 2.35%, while Hispanic representation increased by 25.82%. Lastly, there was a small increase in those identifying as Black, from 0.74% to 0.76%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 53.74% | 51.4% | -4.35% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 36.01% | 35.93% | -0.22% |
| Two or More Races | 3.37% | 5.13% | 52.23% |
| Hispanic | 2.75% | 3.46% | 25.82% |
| White | 3.4% | 3.32% | -2.35% |
| Black | 0.74% | 0.76% | 2.7% |
Chee ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Chee is Chinese, which comprises 53.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Japanese (7.5%) and British & Irish (7.5%). Additional ancestries include Korean, Indigenous American, French & German, Filipino & Austronesian, and Chinese Dai.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 53.2% |
| Japanese | 7.5% |
| British & Irish | 7.5% |
| Other | 31.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Chee
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Chee have recent ancestry locations all within China.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Guangdong, China | 63.90% |
| Fujian, China | 61.10% |
| Zhejiang, China | 58.30% |
| Jiangsu, China | 58.30% |
| Shanghai, China | 58.30% |
What Chee haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Chee is O-F2415, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F2415 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include E-M183 and O-F2859, which are predominantly found among people with European and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Chee surname are: B4, R, D4. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Cham
One of the many populations harboring members of haplogroup O1b1a1a1a1 is the Cham ethnic group, a group of people who speak Austronesian languages in Mainland Southeast Asia. Austronesian languages make up a language family that is extremely large and widespread, comprising over 350 million people on islands such as Madagascar, Easter Island, and many others. However, Austronesian languages are less common on mainland Asia, with a notable exception being the Chamic language. Research suggests that ancestors of the Cham people migrated from Southeast Asian islands to the mainland around the year 500 BCE, and that early Cham populations quickly began mixing with indigenous southern Vietnamese populations. As a result, the Chamic language now has words that were borrowed from languages spoken by indigenous Vietnamese people. It is likely that an ancestral Kinh population was one of the populations that mixed with the Cham people shortly after their migration to mainland Asia.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to the Han
Members of haplogroups B4 and B5 are quite frequent in both northern and southern Han Chinese populations. The Han people, who all share the same language and similar cultural practices, are the largest ethnic group in the world, with about 1.2 billion people. Historical evidence shows that Han people are descendants of the ancient Huaxia tribes that come from northern China, centered in Zhongyuan, China's Central Plain. The spread of Han people, language and culture from northern to southern China only occurred in the last 2,000 years, and was likely driven by warfare and famine in the north.
What do people with the surname Chee have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Chee" Surname 47.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Chee" Surname 47.6%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Tea Consumption
A preference for drinking caffeinated tea in a particular week.
"Chee" Surname 58.3%
23andMe Users 49.2%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Chee?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Chee are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition