Place

Chen surname meaning

Chinese 陈/陳 — from the ancient State of Chen; character also glossed "old" / "to explain."

Confidence: Likely
US frequency: Rank 93 · 233,798 people
Common variants: Chan, Tan, Tran

Confidence: Likely. The main story is well supported; some details of the deeper root are less certain.

The short story

Chen (Mandarin 陈/陳) is one of Asia's great surnames. The main historical path is place-derived: people of the ancient State of Chen (in what is now Henan/Anhui) took the state's name as a clan surname. The character can also be glossed "to explain" or "old," but families usually inherit a lineage name, not a vocabulary quiz.

Romanizations vary: Chan (Cantonese), Tan (Hokkien), Vietnamese Trần, and others. US Census Chen is mostly Mandarin spelling; related forms may be filed separately. Type place (state name) fits best among the four buckets.

Also seen as: Chan, Tan, Tran

Sources used

FamilySearch / DAFN-style Chinese entry for Chen (Mandarin 陳 from the State of Chen)
Wikipedia 'Chen (surname)' (descendants of the State of Chen; character meanings)
Names2020_LastNames_RaceHispanic_Top1000.xlsx (2020 Census)