Explore the Family Name Chern
The meaning of Chern
1. Chinese: variant of Chen 1 and 2. 2. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 莊, possibly based on its Teochew pronunciation, see Zhuang. 3. American shortened form of whichever of mainly East Slavic and Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic) surnames beginning with Chern- or Čern- and directly or indirectly derived from a Slavic adjective meaning ‘black, dark’ (see Cherny), e.g. Ukrainian Chernoshtan, a nickname based on a Russian-influenced form of Ukrainian chornoshtan ‘one with black trousers’. Compare Cherne 2. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Chyi, Mou, Bin, Guan, Jong, Kuo, Lih, Rong, Shyh, Sung, Swee, Yao Hui.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Chern in the United States?
The surname Chern has seen a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, Chern was ranked 38,771st in terms of the most common surnames in the United States, but by 2010 it had dropped to 42,511th, indicating a change of -9.65%. The actual count of people with this surname also decreased from 536 in 2000 to 510 in 2010, a decline of -4.85%. The proportion of people named Chern per 100,000 residents also experienced a drop of -15%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #38,771 | #42,511 | -9.65% |
| Count | 536 | 510 | -4.85% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.2 | 0.17 | -15% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Chern
When examining the ethnic identity affiliated with the surname Chern, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that a majority identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. From 2000 to 2010, the percentage of individuals with this surname identifying as such increased from 61.57% to 66.47%. However, those identifying as White decreased from 36.38% to 31.18% during the same period. There was also a small decrease in people identifying as two or more races, dropping from 1.87% to 1.57%. No individuals with the surname Chern identified as Hispanic, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 61.57% | 66.47% | 7.96% |
| White | 36.38% | 31.18% | -14.29% |
| Two or More Races | 1.87% | 1.57% | -16.04% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |