Shen
A surname most often tied to Chinese origins, and in some cases to Irish or Manx place-name roots in historical records.
The #2,806 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 24,047 Americans shares it.
Etymology
As a surname, Shen is best known as a Chinese family name, though the exact character and original meaning can vary by lineage. In historical European onomastic sources, similar spellings may also reflect surnames or place-name elements from Irish or Manx material rather than a single shared origin. The Manx word shen means “old” or “that/there,” but the excerpts here do not show it as a surname source, only as a common word in place-names.
History
In modern use, Shen is widely encountered as a Chinese surname and is common enough in the United States to appear in census data. The historical excerpts provided do not include a true dictionary entry for the surname itself; they mainly show incidental mentions of the Manx word shen and unrelated names. Because of that, a precise single European etymology cannot be established from the supplied material.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The Manx word shen, seen in the excerpts, means “old” or “that,” and appears in place names rather than as evidence for a surname origin.
From the historical record
“Tlioniai 'jaa, Janne, or Jane, biabi^ 0 If or-idi, MM ; FF. in. 541. , 1438- Rover Janneaoa, ■A^r of Shen bmrae, co.7)orf. : ibid. a. 361. I47t. Jolm Janoj^ of tfonricb : ibid”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances