Cen (surname) facts for kids

Cen is a Chinese surname. It's a way to write the Chinese character 岑 using the English alphabet. The Cen surname is quite old! It's listed as the 67th name in a famous Chinese book called Hundred Family Surnames, which was written during the Song Dynasty. In 2008, about 340,000 people in China had the surname Cen, making it the 235th most common one.

Where the Cen Name Comes From

The Cen surname first appeared a very long time ago, during the Zhou Dynasty in China.

How the Name Started

The first person to use the Cen name was a man named Ji Qu. He was the nephew of a famous leader called Ji Chang. Ji Qu was in charge of an area called Cen Ting, which is in a place now known as Shanxi province. To honor him, his children decided to take the name Cen. They also gave him the special title of Cen Zi after he passed away. This is how the Cen family name began!

Important Cen Family Members in History

Over the centuries, many people with the Cen surname became important.

Cen Family in the Ming Dynasty

In 1368, a man named Cen Tianbao made a deal with the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang. Because of this, Cen Tianbao was made the leader, or prefect, of a city called Tianzhou. His family continued to be important leaders in different areas. They were prefects of Zhen'an and leaders of Guishun.

Cen Leaders in Southern China

In the southern parts of China, like Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, some of the most powerful chieftains (local leaders) had the Cen surname. In the 1400s and 1500s, many Cen leaders were strong supporters of the Ming Dynasty.

Cen Chunxuan in Modern China

Later, when the Republic of China was in control of mainland China, a person named Cen Chunxuan became the president of the military government in Guangzhou. This shows how the Cen family continued to play a role in Chinese history.

Images for kids

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  Eliza Sam (岑麗香)