Surname Overview
The Tian surname is one of China's surnames. It is ancient and widely distributed, but uncommon and considered a rare surname.
Tian Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 4,625Tian / Tian
Origins
Origin
The Tian surname is traditionally traced to descendants of Tian Lao, an assistant to the Yellow Emperor, and is also recorded in the Xingyuan.
Historical Records
Documentary Attestations
The Tian surname is included in the Xutongzhi: Shizulue and the Xingshi kaolue, which cites the Xingkao statement that it descended from Tian Lao, a minister of the Yellow Emperor.
Migration and Distribution
Distribution
The Tian surname is found in Weihui, Tangyin, and Gong County in Henan; Shangyu and Yuyao in Zhejiang; Shunde in Guangdong; Zhongjiang in Sichuan; Huainan in Anhui; Kaohsiung in Taiwan; Laoting and Xianghe in Hebei; and Ningdu in Jiangxi.
Notable People
Historical Figures
Tiangen was a minister of the Shang dynasty; Tiangao was a Changshe magistrate in the Han dynasty; Tianwen was a personal guard commander in the Tang dynasty; and Tian Wanzun lived in the Song dynasty.
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