Kan Surname

Surname Overview

Ethnic Distribution

Among contemporary Kan users, 98.8% are Han and 1.2% are Manchu.

Reference: 阚姓起源分布与家谱家族

Origins

Surname Origins

In the Spring and Autumn period, Kan was the name of a settlement in Lu. The Kan surname may have originated from the settlement name; some Kan families may have resulted from surname changes among the Manchu and other ethnic minorities.

Reference: 阚姓起源分布与家谱家族

Historical Records

During the Three Kingdoms period, Kan Ze lived in Shanyin County of Kuaiji Commandery. During the Northern Liang, Kan Yin lived in Dunhuang. During the Sui and Tang periods, Kan Leng lived in Linji of Qizhou. In the Yuan dynasty, Kan Wenxing of Jiankang joined the army in Zhangzhou.

Reference: 阚姓起源分布与家谱家族

Migration and Distribution

Modern Geographic Distribution

Among contemporary Kan users, registered ancestral origins are concentrated mainly in Jiangsu, Anhui, and Hebei, and are also found in Sichuan, Shandong, Shanghai, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Zhejiang.

Reference: 阚姓起源分布与家谱家族

Genealogy and Generation Names

Family Distribution

The 23Mofang family database currently contains eight Kan families spanning three provinces: five in Anhui, two in Henan, and one in Shandong.

Reference: 阚姓起源分布与家谱家族