Surname Overview
Overview
The Xuan surname is rare in current use; it is written 铉 in simplified Chinese and 鉉 in traditional Chinese.
xuán Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 2xuán
Origins
Derivation from the Xuan Surname
One account derives the surname from 玄, changed to 鉉 by adding the metal radical to avoid the personal-name taboo of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang.
Song-Era Taboo Account
Another account holds that the later 鉉 clan added the metal radical during the Song period to distinguish the surname from the taboo character 玄.
Historical Records
Documentary Attestations
The surname appears in Xinbian Qianjiaxing and Xingshi Kaolüe; the latter cites Xingshi Xunyuan when explaining the character change.
Migration and Distribution
Recorded Distribution
The surname is recorded in Tongshan, Jiangsu; Tai'an and Dongping, Shandong; Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Zhuji, Zhejiang; Lulong, Hebei; Huainan, Anhui; Jilin City; Beijing; and Taiyuan, Shanxi.
Research Notes
Variant Pronunciations
The surname is transcribed as both xuàn and xuán; its definitive pronunciation remains uncertain.
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