Tan Surname

Surname Overview

A Rare Multiethnic Surname

Tan, pronounced tán, is a relatively rare surname currently found among Han, Tujia, Bouyei, and other ethnic groups.

Reference: 潭姓_潭姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Origins

Changed from the Tan Surname Written 谭

One branch originated from the surname 谭. After the state of Tan was destroyed, its people adopted the state's name as their surname; because the cursive forms of the speech radical and water radical were similar, some families changed 谭 to 潭.

Reference: 潭姓_潭姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Evolution from the Shen Surname

Another branch derived from Shen (瞫), one of the five surnames of the ancient Ba people. Its ancestors mainly lived at Wuluo Zhongli Mountain, and the surname later developed into the Tujia surnames 覃, 潭, and 谭.

Reference: 潭姓_潭姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Historical Records

Documentary Attestations

The surname is included in Xu Tongzhi: Shizulüe. Xingshi Kaolüe quotes the Stele of Zhou Jing, Governor of Guiyang: “A surname of the Wuling Man; the surname Tan also exists in Qujiang, Guangdong.” Xingshi Xunyuan also records it as a surname of the “Wuling Man” in the Tang period.

Reference: 潭姓_潭姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Migration and Distribution

Geographic Distribution

The surname is mainly distributed in Hubei, Hunan, Shandong, and Hainan, with the largest concentrations in Hubei and Hunan. Smaller scattered populations occur in Heyuan, Shaoguan, Meizhou, and Jiexi County in Guangdong.

Reference: 潭姓_潭姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Notable People

Historical Figures

Historical bearers include Tan Rong of the Han period; Tan Yuancheng, a Tang-era prefect of Lanzhou; Tan Jun, a director in the Ministry of Rites; and Tan Yurui of Chaling, who earned the jinshi degree during the Ming dynasty's Hongzhi reign.

Reference: 潭姓_潭姓的来源和历史_百家姓