Diàn Surname

Surname Overview

Dian, pronounced Diàn, is a relatively rare surname in current use and occurs among Han Chinese.

Reference: 殿_殿姓氏起源来源_殿姓氏名人查询_姓氏大全:殿

Origins

Dian Quan Lineage

During the Chongning era of Emperor Huizong of Song, the merchant Dian Quan moved from Shicheng in Qianzhou to Fuzhou. He said that his ancestral surname violated Emperor Taizu's personal-name taboo and was changed to Dian by a county magistrate during the Jianlong era based on the original surname's written form.

Reference: 殿(diàn)姓-族谱网

Yin Chongyi Lineage

After entering Song service, the Southern Tang official Yin Chongyi avoided Emperor Taizu's personal-name taboo by first changing Yin to Tang and later to Dian. The Lushi identifies the Dian clan as descendants of Shang Tang.

Reference: 殿_殿姓氏起源来源_殿姓氏名人查询_姓氏大全:殿

Historical Records

Early Attestation

The earliest record of the Dian surname is identified in the Southern Song work Gujin Xingshi Shu Bianzheng, with Dian Quan listed as its founding ancestor.

Reference: 殿(diàn)姓-族谱网

Migration and Distribution

Current Distribution

The Dian surname is found in Wuqing in Tianjin; Xianghe in Hebei; Yutai and Qufu in Shandong; Yangquan, Linfen, and Jiangxian in Shanxi; Pucheng in Fujian; Huainan in Anhui; Fugou in Henan; Jianshui in Yunnan; Beijing; and other places.

Reference: 殿_殿姓氏起源来源_殿姓氏名人查询_姓氏大全:殿

Research Notes

Conflicting Change-of-Surname Accounts

Two accounts differ on the original surname and period of Dian Quan's line: the Xutongzhi records a Song-era change from Yin to Dian, while the Xingshi Cidian, citing the Xingpu, records a Ming-era change from Ji to Dian.

Reference: 殿_殿姓氏起源来源_殿姓氏名人查询_姓氏大全:殿