Surname Overview
Rare Surname
Yuan (淵), pronounced Yuān, is a relatively rare Han Chinese surname. Its population is under one thousand, and its ranking is 1,391.
Yuān Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 1Yuān / Yüan
Origins
One tradition traces the surname to Cangshu, one of the talented sons of Gaoyang, whose posthumous name was Yuan. Another traces it to the Jiang-surname Qi royal clan, possibly from Duke Qing of Qi's son Gongzi Yuan, or from his grandson Gongsun Jie, whose style name was Ziyuan.
Historical Records
Documentary Attestations
The surname Yuan is recorded in the Xutongzhi: Shizulüe. Related records cite the Gujin xingshi shu bianzheng and Xingshi kaolüe, and refer to the Zuo Zhuan and Shiben.
Migration and Distribution
Distribution
The surname is currently found in Pingdu, Shandong; Shenyang, Liaoning; Xinzhou, Shanxi; and Wuhan, Hubei. It is also found in Yilan and Tainan, Taiwan.
Notable People
Historical Figures
Yuan Qiu was a senior official of Qi in the Spring and Autumn period. Yuan Feng was a governor's aide in Xunzhou during the Song dynasty. Yuan Cheng was from Pengzhou in the Ming dynasty and served as magistrate of Changshan County during the Hongzhi era.
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