Yan is a Chinese surname, it is the pinyin romanization for several Chinese characters such as "严 (嚴)", "晏 (晏)", "偃 (偃)", "颜 (顏)", "言 (言)", "燕 (燕)", "阎 (閻)", "闫 (閆)", "鄢 (鄢)" in simplified (traditional) form. Note that these characters are spelled as Yen in the Wade–Giles romanization system which was the prevalent one before the early 80s. From such, individuals and institutions who have had to romanize their Chinese names prior to that time, such as when having their books translated or publishing manuscripts outside of China, used "Yen" instead of "Yan". Such examples include Yenching University and the Harvard-Yenching Institute. The Yan surname in Taiwan is mostly spelled as Yen since only until recently has the government approved the use of pinyin romanization of names. The Cantonese romanization of these surnames is "Yim". As such, most people from Hong Kong and Chinese diaspora that emigrated prior to 1949 from Guangdong use the name Yim. On many occasions, "甄 (甄)" in Cantonese is also romanized as Yan.
The "严 (嚴)" (Yán) surname has various origins:
In the state of Chu, the branch of Xiong (熊) of the Zhuang surname (莊) was renamed to Yan (嚴).Zhuang (莊) family change their names to Yan (嚴) upon the ascension of the Han Ming Emperor, whose personal name was Zhuang, owing to the naming taboo.in Qin (state), Ying (嬴) family get surname Yan (嚴), branch of Yíng (Chinese surname)during the Ancient, the State of Yan (嚴國) founded, there Citizen get surname Yan (嚴) with title of stateduring the Sixteen Kingdoms, the royal of Xianbei get surname Yan (嚴), branch of Liu family the XiongnuChinese Minority the Xibe people, Yi people, Tu people use surname Yan (嚴)Also known as YimYan Yan, a general of the state of Shu Han during the era of the Three KingdomsYen Chia-linYen Chia-kan (born 1905–1993), President of Taiwan 1975-1978Yan Fu (born 1854), Chinese scholarGeling Yan (born 1958), Chinese writerYim Ho (born 1952) Hong Kong film directors, leader of Hong Kong New WaveYan Jiaqi (born 1942), Chinese political scientist and dissidentYan Jinxuan (born 1924), Chinese composer of The White Haired GirlYan Junqi (born 1946), Vice chairwoman of the standing committee of the National People's Congress of ChinaYan Pei-Ming (born 1960), Chinese-born French painterYan Shimin (born 1987), Chinese rowerYan Shunkai (born 1937), Chinese comedian, actor and directorSophia Yan (born 1986), American classical pianistYim Wing-chun, a Chinese legendary character, often cited in Wing Chun legends as the first master of the martial art bearing her nameYan Yikuan (born 1979), Chinese actor and singerYan (simplified Chinese: 阎; traditional Chinese: 閻) surname from Ji (姬) family of Zhou Dynasty, and some other surname Yan merge to Yan (閻) in the East Asian Nation.
Yan Su (1930-2016), Chinese lyricist and screenwriterYan Chongnian (born 1934) Chinese historianYan Weiwen (born 1957), Chinese opera singer with origins in the People's Liberation ArmyYan Lianke (born 1958), Chinese writer of novels and short storiesYan Sen (born 1975), Chinese table tennis playerYan Shipeng (born 1987), Chinese football playerYan Song (footballer) (born 1981), Chinese footballerYan Xuetong (born 1952), Dean of the Institute of Modern International Relations at Tsinghua UniversityYan Fang, Chinese softball playerYan Hong, Chinese race walkerYan (simplified Chinese: 闫; traditional Chinese: 閆) is the same as Yan (閻), only the shape of writing.
Yan FengYan Han (figure skater), Chinese figure skaterYan Meizhu (born 1989), Chinese team handball playerYan Ni (born 1971), Chinese actressYan Xiangchuang (born 1986), Chinese footballerAlso known as Gan in Hokkien or Ngan in Cantonese
Gan Kim Yong, Singapore politicianYan Junling, Chinese football goalkeeperNgan Lok Fung, Hong Kong football midfielderYen Shui-long, Taiwanese painter and sculptorYan Hui, disciple of ConfuciusYan Huiqing, Chinese writer, politician, and diplomat from ShanghaiKevin Ngan, Hong Kong fencerYan Jeou-rong, Taiwanese politicianGan Eng Seng, Chinese businessman and philanthropist who was one of the early pioneers of SingaporeYen Hsing-su, also known as Johnny Yen, Taiwanese basketball playerJohnny Ngan, Hong Kong film actor and television actor.Yan Bingyan (颜丙燕), Chinese actressBrendan Gan, (1988–present) Malaysian footballerYan Zhengzai (顏徵在), mother of ConfuciusSteven Gan (颜重庆/顏重慶)(1963–present), Malaysian journalistGan Peck Cheng (simplified Chinese: 颜碧贞; traditional Chinese: 顏碧貞; pinyin: Yán Bìzhēn), Malaysian politicianThe surname 晏 (Yàn) has three main sources:
Near 600 BC, the minister Yan Ruo (晏弱) of the state of Qi took Yan as his last name after he was assigned to govern the town of Yan (modern day town of Yancheng of Qihe county of Shandong province).
According to the Records of the Grand Historian, the name of the fifth son of Zhuanxu was Yang'an (阳安) who chose to use the surname 晏 for his descendants.
According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas, Yan Long (晏龙), a minister of Emperor Yao is the earliest ancestor of the Yan surname on record.
Yan Ying (578-500 BC), prime minister of the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period.An Ruzi (??-489 BC), also known as Yan Ruzi, ruled the state of Qi for a brief period after the death of Duke Jing of Qi.Yan Shu (991-1055), writer and politician, served as prime minister during the Song dynastyY. C. James Yen (1890-1990), Chinese educator and organizer known for his literacy work in rural areas around the world.Yan Zi (born 1984), Chinese tennis player.Yan Lik Kin (born 1961), Hong Kong football coachMartin Yan, Chinese American chef and food writerDonnie Yen, Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and multiple-time world wushu tournament champion.Yan Huo, American hedge fund managerYan Bingtao, Chinese snooker playerYan Feng (athlete) Chinese paralympic athlete competing in throwing eventsYan Hong (swimmer) (born 1967), Chinese swimmerYan Huilian (born 1983), Chinese archerYan Jiankui (born 1976), Chinese sprinterYan Jing (born 1970), Chinese fencerYan Liang (handballer) (born 1985), Chinese handballerMarline Yan, (born 1993), Canadian actress and singerStephen Yan, Hong Kong born Canadian cooking show host of Wok With YanYan Wei, Chinese middle distance runnerYan Xiandong, Chinese fencerYan Yan (言)(506 BC-??), disciple of ConfuciusAaron Yan (炎) (born 1986), Taiwanese MandopopJack Yan (甄) (born 1972), Hong Kong born New Zealander publisher and businessmanJerry Yan (言) (born 1977), Taiwanese actorYan Xing (artist) (鄢), Chinese artist in performance as well as installations, video and photographyYan Aung Kyaw (born 1989), Burmese footballer for Myanmar national football teamYan Aung Win (born 1992), Burmese footballer for Myanmar national football teamYan Naing Oo (born 1996), Burmese footballer for Myanmar national football teamYan Paing (born 1983), Burmese footballer for Myanmar national football teamYan Yan Chan, Burmese singerAmanda Yan, Canadian wheelchair basketball playerEsteban Yan, Dominican baseball pitcherJoseph Yan, Kiribati footballerVitali Yan, Russian football midfielderDennis Yan (born 1997), Russian-American ice hockey player, picked in the 2015 NHL Entry DraftYan (延) is a Chinese surname. It has various origins:
during the Han Dynasty, Xirong (西戎) the Loufan (樓煩) get surname Yan (延), branch of Pan (surname) (潘)during the Northern Wei (北魏), Emperor Xiaowen (孝文帝) family get surname Yan (延)during the Northern Wei (北魏), Xianbei noble's three-syllable surname was reduced to Yan (延)during the Ancient, Yue people (越族) Baiyue (百越) get surname Yan (延) in Zhejiang the old Wu (state)Yan (燕) is Chinese surname. It has various origins:
during the Ancient China, Ji (姞) family get surname Yan (燕) with title of Nanyan (state) (南燕國)during the Zhou Dynasty, Ji (姬) family get surname Yan (燕) with title of Yan (state) (燕國)during the Three Kingdoms Period, Wuhuan people use surname Yan (燕)Chinese Murong family get surname Yan (燕) with title of Former Yan (前燕)