Surname Overview
A Rare Han Chinese Surname
Yan is a currently rare Han Chinese surname.
炎 Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 49Origins
Descent from Yan Qingjia
Tradition holds that the Yan surname descends from the ancient ruler Yan Qingjia.
Historical Records
Qing-Era Attestation
The earliest attestation of the Yan surname is in the Qing-era Xingshi Kaolue.
Migration and Distribution
Early Ming Migration
In the early Ming period, Yan ancestors registered in Pingyang Prefecture, Hongdong County, Zhaocheng County, and other places were assembled at the Hongdong Great Pagoda Tree and ordered to relocate. By the late Qing period, their descendants were distributed across Henan, Shandong, Hebei, Shaanxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanxi, and other areas.
Geographic Distribution
The Yan surname occurs in Wan County and An County in Sichuan; Weihui and Ji County in Henan; Wujin and Gaochun in Jiangsu; Chenggu in Shaanxi; and Beijing. It is also found in Wuchuan, Guangdong; Pingle, Guangxi; and Linfen, Shanxi.
Notable People
Tang and Song Figures
Yan Ge lived in the Tang period, and Yan Zun in the Song period.
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Surname attestation references
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