Chen originated in Wanqiu (now Huaiyang, Henan Province), looked at Gushi (now Gushi County, Henan Province), flourished in Yingchuan (now Changge, Henan Province), and spread all over the world.

Chen is an ancient surname with many nationalities and origins, ranking fifth in Chinese mainland's surname list and first in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao. In the density atlas of surnames in China, the distribution of surnames of Chen is very consistent with the distribution range of Minhai people, and it is extremely high in southern Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong coastal areas, followed by the Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta, and rarely distributed in northern nomadic areas. Chen's surname ranks first in the south, while it ranks seventh in the north, surpassing many typical surnames in the north.

Overseas, Chen is the first surname in Singapore and Malaysia. In history, the surname Chen of Ryukyu Kingdom was also very popular, and he served as the ambassador, general manager, doctor, long history and fire chief of Ryukyu Kingdom for generations.