Chin

Spellings & scripts●

Locally spelled Chïn in DZ Algeria.

Meaning & origin●

Attested across 2 languages in the etymology graph.

Languages●

Language is read off each record's context, not declared by the bearer; a share is of all records for this spelling.

Other names spelled this way◐

Chin is also recorded as 6 other names, grouped separately because the records behind them do not connect to the one described above.

• Korean surname406K records spelled Chin45 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in South Korea, United States, Malaysia, China

  Also written 진, Jin, 진국, 진오, Chen

• Malay surname342K records spelled Chin4 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Malaysia, United States, Indonesia, Singapore

  Languages: Malay, Indonesian

  Also written Čhîn, Chín

• Chinese surname83K records spelled Chin7 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Malaysia, United States, Taiwan, Singapore

  Also written Chîn, Ch'In, Chín, Chïn

• a separate surname22K records spelled Chin7 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in United States, India, Malaysia, United Kingdom

  Also written Chi-N, Ch'In, Čhīn, Chìn, Chín

• Khmer surname12K records spelled Chin6 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in United States, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong

  Also written Çhin, Çhïn, Çhīn, Chín, Çhín

• French surname8.4K records spelled Chin20 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in France, United States, Malaysia, Canada

  Languages: French, Catalan

  Also written Ćhïn, Chîn, Čhîn, Çhįn, Çhîn

68 further groups record this spelling and are not listed here.

Grouping is the name graph's, not a register's: two spellings join a group when the evidence links them, so a group is a claim about the records rather than about the people.

Other recorded senses●

Chin is also recorded in 5 other lexicons, as a different name or as an ordinary word. These are senses of the spelling, not of the name above.

• In English, The bottom of a face, (specifically) the typically jutting jawline below the mouth.

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

• In Indonesian, a surname from Hakka

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

• In Italian, redução dialetal setentrional de Chino.

  as a name·Dicionário dos sobrenomes italianos

• In English, hills, people, Burma; pers. name

  as a name·Pronouncing Dictionary of Proper Names

• In English, Chinese dynasties

  as a name·Pronouncing Dictionary of Proper Names

Ordered by how much of this spelling's record each language holds, so a sense from a language the name is barely used in sits last rather than first.

Over time●

SE SCB — Namnstatistik (to 2023) — 22 years between 1999–2020. One register's own figures, never a sum across registers: two registers counting the same people would double them.

Notable people with this name●

• Pridi Banomyongb. 1900THnot in their usual nameThai prime minister (1900-1983)
• Margaret Chanb. 1947CNnot in their usual nameChinese-Canadian physician (born 1947)
• Chen Shui-bianb. 1950TWnot in their usual name10th and 11th President of Republic of China(Taiwan) (2000–2008)
• Roger Yonchien Tsienb. 1952USnot in their usual nameAmerican biochemist (1952-2016)
• Jackie Chanb. 1954CNnot in their usual nameHong Kong actor and martial artist (born 1954)
• Joan Chenb. 1961CNnot in their usual nameChinese-American actress and director
• Donnie Yenb. 1963CNnot in their usual nameHong Kong actor, film director and martial artist (born 1963)
• Steve Chenb. 1978TWnot in their usual nameChinese-American businessman
• Vanessa-Maeb. 1978SGnot in their usual nameBritish violinist
• Priscilla Chanb. 1985USnot in their usual nameAmerican pediatrician and philanthropist

The ten people covered by the most Wikipedia language editions — a proxy for cross-cultural notability, which favours historical and Western figures over equally prominent contemporary ones — shown by birth year. Source: Wikidata (CC0).

Evidence●

Register rows as of the 2026-09-12 data build · 321 rows in the corpus for this spelling.

Frequently asked questions

How common is the name Chin?

We estimate roughly 29 thousand people bear Chin (counting its spellings and scripts) across 15 countries in our records.

In which country does Chin have the most bearers?

Chin is most frequently recorded in South Korea, where it is most often spelled chin.

How common is Chin compared with other names?

In South Korea, Chin is the 74th most common surname of 14,083 surnames recorded there.

What does the name Chin mean?

Recorded meaning: from OE cin ‘chin’; nickname for one with a prominent or long chin or a beard; first attested Stephen Chinne 1243 AssSo (Somerset).