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Cognomen 沈 (Shen
, Shum
, 沈
) , around the globe, is a prevalent surname. The cognomen 沈 is characteristic of China, where it is a common surname, Cayman Islands, and British Virgin Islands (explore the name in all countries). Not in comparison with a country's population, it is commonest in China, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. Very seldom, 沈 is the forename as well as the last name.