Guan Surname

Surname Overview

Guan (關) is a common surname pronounced guān. It is widely distributed and is found among the Han, Manchu, Hui, Tibetan, Korean, Miao, Lisu, Buyi, Oroqen, and other ethnic groups.

Reference: 关姓_关姓的来源和历史 - 大字典

Origins

There are several accounts of the origins of the Guan surname, including accounts tracing it to the Si and Yin surnames, as well as to the Dong and Ji surnames.

Reference: 关姓起源分布与家谱家族

Historical Records

Early Attestations

In the Spring and Autumn period, the state of Zheng had the grandee Guan Qisi. The Western Han had the Colonel of the Changshui Guan Bing, the early Eastern Han had the Colonel of the Western Regions Guan Chong, and the late Han had Guan Jing of Taiyuan, indicating that the Guan clan had spread through the middle and lower Yellow River region before the Han dynasties.

Reference: 关姓_关姓的来源和历史 - 大字典

Commanderies and Clan Halls

Commanderies and Hall Name

The Guan clan's commanderies are Longxi and Donghai. It is also known by the hall name “Zhongyi Hall,” associated with Guan Yu's titles and worship in the Wu Temple.

Reference: 关姓_关姓的来源和历史 - 大字典

Migration and Distribution

Before the Qin dynasty, the Guan surname was mainly active in Henan. After the Qin and Han periods it appeared in Gansu, Shaanxi, and Shanxi; during the Wei and Jin periods it reached Sichuan, Hubei, and Hebei. In the Song period it crossed the Yangtze into Hunan, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang, and by the Ming and Qing periods it was found throughout southern China.

Reference: 关姓起源分布与家谱家族

Genealogy and Generation Names

Genealogical Generation Names

One Guan lineage uses three-character names in a complete ten-generation cycle, with the elements metal, water, wood, fire, and earth placed in the second or third character. A Guan genealogy is preserved in Qixian, Henan; this branch migrated from Shanxi to Henan in the early Ming period.

Reference: 关姓_关姓的来源和历史 - 大字典