Surname Chien - Meaning and Origin

Chien: What does the surname Chien mean?

The last name Chien is a Chinese surname originating from the Zhou dynasty. The name Chien has a long and illustrious history, having been in use since the early days of Chinese civilization. The name gradually spread during the Tang dynasty through many migrations into Korea and Vietnam.

The literal translation of the Chinese character used in the surname Chien is "dog". Historically, the surname Chien was often linked with an association for people who shadows or follows a king. It is said that in ancient times there were court officials known as chien-k'un, who would keep guard over the palace. They were known as being loyal and protective, often compared to guard dogs.

In modern times, Chien is a well established family name throughout many parts of Asia, and it is increasingly being adopted by families overseas. The last name retains its traditional associations with strong loyalty and protection, and is sometimes used as a first name in honor of those properties.

Chien: Where does the name Chien come from?

The last name Chien is mostly concentrated in East Asia, specifically in China, Taiwan, South Korea, Macau, Mozambique, and Thailand. It is also found in other places around the world Like Cambodia, France, Canada, the United States and Singapore.

In China, the distribution of Chien is basically even throughout the country. It is particularly abundant in the province of Sichuan and in four cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, and Zhejiang. In Taiwan, Chien is among the 28th most common surname with about 0.14% of the population bearing that name.

South Korea also has common Chien surnames with several famous people sharing the name, including Korean musician Chien Kyung-yong and South Korean figure skater Chien No-jeong. The country currently has more than 88,000 people with the last name Chien.

In Macau, Chien is the 3rd most common surname. The surname is primarily found among first-generation Mainland Chinese immigrants. This includes people who were born and raised in eastern China and then relocated to Macau.

Mozambique is another country with frequent occurrences of Chien. It has been noted that the Chien name in Mozambique is more common than it is in many other parts of the world.

Finally, Chien is also found in France, Canada, the United States, Singapore and other countries in which East Asian immigrants have settled. Each of these countries has its own unique distribution of Chien surnames.

Variations of the surname Chien

The surname Chien is a Chinese surname that can be spelt in various ways. Some of the variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Chien include Tsai, Tzai, Tsay, Cai, Ts'ai and Ch'ien. In addition, it can be spelt in other Chinese languages such as the Mandarin, Cantonese, and the Southern Min languages of Hokkien, Teochew and Hainanese.

The surname Chien is also known as Qiu in the Gan language, as well as Kiu, Kio, Jio, Jiao, Jiao-Chio Guo in the Formosan languages of Hoklo, Hakka and Bunun. In the Wu language, it is known as Choi, while in the Min Nan language, it is spelt as Chhoàⁿ.

Other related surnames include Ching or Chiang, Jin, Chun, Zheng, Zhong, Huang, Deng, Qin, and Cen. All of these surnames are believed to have originated from the same root name that is shared by the Chien surname.

The Chien surname is known for being associated with prominent figures throughout history, such as Tsai Chien, the former president of the Republic of China. Tsai Chien, whose surname was styled as Cai in some Mandarin contexts, was also the first president of the People’s Republic of China's United Nations. In modern day, the Chien surname continues to be popular in China and other Chinese diasporas, including the United States and Canada.

Famous people with the name Chien

• Joyce Chien: Taiwanese Singer and Actor
• Chien Shih-Kang: Taiwanese businessmen, film producer, and philanthropist
• Chien-Ming Wang: Taiwanese professional baseball pitcher
• Cyndi Chien: Taiwanese TV Host and Actress
• Chien-Yi Hou: Taiwanese Singer
• Chien-Lun Huang: Taiwanese Actor
• Chien-Yu Chen: Taiwanese Actor
• Li Chien-his: Taiwanese Singer
• Chien-Ting Luo: Taiwanese Actor
• Chien-Ying Li: Taiwanese Actress
• Chien Liang: Taiwanese Sculptor
• Chien-Shue Wu: Taiwanese Actor
• Chien-Ho Chen: Taiwanese Actor
• Chien-Yeh Hsiao: Taiwanese Actor
• Chien-Feng Yang: Taiwanese Baseball Player
• Chien-Hsiung Kao: Taiwanese Composer
• Chien-Lung Yang: Taiwanese Actor
• Chien-Ho Chen: Taiwanese Actor
• Chien-Chi Chang: Taiwanese Photojournalist
• Ruri Chien: Taiwanese Actress

Other surnames

ChieneChierChievre