Lan Surname

Surname Overview

Two Main Lineages

The Lan surname has two main lineages, from the Ji and Mi surnames. The Ji-line Lan surname has a history of at least 2,600 years, and the Mi-line Lan surname at least 2,300 years.

Reference: 兰姓起源分布与家谱家族

Origins

Origin of the Ji-Line Lan Surname

In the Spring and Autumn period, before Zheng Mu Gong was born, his mother dreamed that an angel brought her orchid grass. He was therefore named Lan, also called Gongzi Lan; one branch of his secondary descendants adopted Mu Gong's name as their surname.

Reference: 兰姓起源分布与家谱家族

Origin of the Mi-Line Lan Surname

In the middle of the Warring States period, during the reign of King Huai of Chu, Chu established Lanyi southwest of present-day Cangshan in southern Shandong near Jiangsu, and granted it to a noble official of the Chu royal clan. His descendants adopted the settlement's name as their surname.

Reference: 兰姓起源分布与家谱家族

Migration and Distribution

Historical Distribution and Migration

Before the Qin dynasty, the Lan surname was mainly active in Henan and Shandong. After the Qin and Han periods, it grew relatively quickly in the north and formed a prominent clan in Changli, Hebei. Central Plains Lan families spread south of the Yangtze with southward migrants. During the Ming dynasty, Jiangsu accounted for about 37% of the Lan population; the surname was mainly distributed in Jiangsu, Shanxi, Shandong, Henan, Sichuan, and Hebei, with migration mainly toward the south.

Reference: 兰姓起源分布与家谱家族

Contemporary Ancestral-Home Distribution

Among Lan-surname users who underwent genetic testing, ancestral homes were mainly in Sichuan, Beijing, and Fujian, accounting for 17.4%, 7.6%, and 6.2%, respectively.

Reference: 兰姓起源分布与家谱家族

Genealogy and Generation Names

Generation Names in Gaotan Village

One Lan-surname branch in Gaotan Village, Reshui Town, Rucheng County, Hunan, belongs to the She ethnic group. Its generation sequence is “Zi, Si, Wen, Ding; Fu, Gui, Rong, Chang; Ju, Jia, He, Shun; Chang, Fa, Qi, Xiang.” The highest current generation is “Ju,” and the lowest is “Chang.”

Reference: 做客畲族山村_文字之窗_湖南人大网