Shan Surname

Surname Overview

The earliest record of the Shan surname appears in the Eastern Han work Fengsu Tong, Surname Chapter; it ranks 227th in the Hundred Family Surnames.

Reference: 山(shān)姓-族谱网

Origins

Main Origins

The Shan surname has three main origins: descendants of the L烈山氏 branch of Emperor Yan adopted Shan; descendants of the Zhou official Shan Shi, who administered forests, adopted the official title as their surname; and the Northern Wei Tunan clan of northern regions changed to the Han surname Shan.

Reference: 山(shān)姓-族谱网

Commanderies and Clan Halls

Commanderies and Hall Name

The main commanderies associated with the Shan surname are Henan and Henei, and its principal hall name is Hunpu Hall.

Reference: 山(shān)姓-族谱网

Migration and Distribution

Among the Shan migrants from the Hongdong locust tree in the early Ming, the ancestors mainly came from Pingyang Prefecture, Hongdong County, and Zhaocheng County; by the late Qing, their descendants were distributed across Henan, Shandong, Hebei, Beijing, Shaanxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hubei, Hunan, Shanxi, and other places.

Reference: 山(shān)姓-族谱网

Notable People

Historical Figures

Historical figures with the Shan surname include Shan Qi, a Jin minister in the Spring and Autumn period; Shan Yu, a Wudu governor of the Han; Shan Tao and his son Shan Jian of the Wei-Jin period; the Tang Buddhist monk Shan Kang; the Ming figures Shan Qing and Shan Yun; and the Qing Buddhist monk Shan Zhi.

Reference: 山(shān)姓-族谱网

Research Notes

Branch and Pronunciation Boundaries

Some Shan families originated from the Northern Wei Tunan clan's surname change, and the surname is also found among Mongolian, Yi, Gelao, and other ethnic groups. A branch among Yue Fei's descendants that changed its surname to Shan is generally pronounced “yà”.

Reference: 中国人口最少的3个姓氏，比大熊猫还稀有，一姓被韩国人认作祖先_尸姓_山姓_后人