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Chon Family History

Chon Name Meaning

Korean (Chŏn): written 전 in Chinese characters 全 meaning ‘complete’ or ‘perfect’. There are actually three Chinese characters for the surname Chŏn. (i) Some sources number the clans which use the most common character 全 as high as 178 but only seventeen have been documented. All of these descend from a common ancestor Chŏn Sŏp (全 聶). The founding king of the Koguryŏ kingdom (37 BCAD 668) had three sons the youngest of whom went south and established what would later become one of Koguryŏ's rival kingdoms Paekche. This son took with him ten servants one of whom was Chŏn Sŏp. (ii) Five clans use the second most common Chinese character for their surname. These clans descended from different ancestors at least two of whom migrated to Korea from China. (iii) The clan which uses the least common character the Mun’gyŏng Chŏn descends from an ancestor named Chŏn Yu-gŏm. Chŏn Yu-gŏm was a minister sent from China to visit the Koryŏ court in the mid 14th century. He decided to stay in Korea and married the elder sister of a famous Koryŏ general Ch’oe Yŏng. When the Koryŏ kingdom fell to the Chosŏn kingdom in 1392 Chŏn abandoned his government post and retired to the countryside to pass the remainder of his years in peaceful obscurity. Compare Cheon Chun 11 Jeon and Jon Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 莊 see Zhuang . Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 張 see Zhang

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Cho, Chong, Choe, Chin, Shan, Chen, Cao, Choi, Chan, Chou

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Where is the Chon family from?

You can see how Chon families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Chon family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1861 and 1920. The most Chon families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 36 Chon families living in British Columbia. This was about 53% of all the recorded Chon's in Canada. British Columbia had the highest population of Chon families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Chon surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Chon ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Labourer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Chon. 55% of Chon men worked as a Labourer. .

View Census Data for Chon | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Labourer
    55%
  • Laborer
    30%
  • Cook
    10%
  • Farmer
    7%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Chon family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Chon. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Chon census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Chon. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Chon. For the veterans among your Chon ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Chon lifespan?

Between 1957 and 2004, in the United States, Chon life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1979, and highest in 1985. The average life expectancy for Chon in 1957 was 43, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Chon

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