Yan (surname 阎)

In 2008, (simplified Chinese: 阎; traditional Chinese: 閻) pinyin Yán was estimated to be the 75th most common surname in the People's Republic of China, shared by around 3.1 million citizens,[1] making it the most common of the surnames written “Yan” without tone markers.

阎 / 閻
RomanizationYan
Origin
DerivationYan (fiefdom in Jin)
Other names
Derivative(s)Yan (surname) 閆

The surname 闫 (閆 in traditional), also Yán, was created as a result of the Second round of simplified Chinese characters, in 1977. Although this series of simplifications was soon retracted, some people retained the simplified surname. One source even suggests that 闫 now more common, as it is shared by 3,20,0000 people, and the 78th-most common name,[2] compared to 阎, shared by 4,900,000 people, or the 103rd most common name.[3] Both appear on the Hundred Family Surnames poem.

It is derived from the following sources:

  • from a fief located around Xihua County, Henan, granted to Zhongyi from King Wu of Zhou. Another source claims the fief was granted by King Kang of Zhou to his eldest son
  • from a fief (located around the town of Yanjing in Shanxi) granted to Yi, the prince of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period.[4]

References
  2. http://www.cnbjx.com/xingshi/yan_3153.html
  3. http://www.cnbjx.com/xingshi/yan_3155.html
  4. The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland edited by Patrick Hanks, Richard Coates, Peter McClure

Notable People
  • 阎崇年 Yan Chongnian (born 1934) Chinese historian
  • 阎芳 Yan Fang, Chinese softball player
  • Yan Feng (athlete) Chinese paralympic athlete competing in throwing events
  • 阎红 Yan Hong, Chinese race walker
  • 阎连科 Yan Lianke (born 1958), Chinese writer of novels and short stories
  • 阎肃 Yan Su (1930-2016), Chinese lyricist and screenwriter
  • 阎森 Yan Sen (born 1975), Chinese table tennis player
  • 阎世鹏 Yan Shipeng (born 1987), Chinese football player
  • 阎嵩 Yan Song (footballer) (born 1981), Chinese footballer
  • 阎维文 Yan Weiwen (born 1957), Chinese opera singer with origins in the People's Liberation Army
  • 阎相闯 Yan Xiangchuang, Chinese professional footballer
  • 閻錫山 Yan Xishan (1883–1960), warlord
  • 阎学通 Yan Xuetong (born 1952), Dean of the Institute of Modern International Relations at Tsinghua University
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.