Surname Overview
Pronunciation and Form
The surname Yan is pronounced yān; the character has an upper-and-lower structure and 11 strokes.
Yan Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 152Yan / Yan
Origins
Spring and Autumn Origin
The Yan surname is listed among the surnames descended from the Marquis of Yan in the Spring and Autumn period.
Migration and Distribution
The record states that in the mid-Yuan period, Yan Qing moved from Henan to Rushan in Shandong. The surname is distributed in Rushan, Laiwu, Tai'an, and Jinan, while some Yan families in Northeast China migrated from Shandong.
Recorded Distribution
The Yan surname is recorded in Huainan, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Nantou, Yishui, Xintai, Rushan, Beijing, Dandong, Hangzhou, Zhumadian, Zhicheng, and Qinghai.
Notable People
Historical Figure
Yan Wen, a Qing-period native of Shanyin, was a monk skilled in calligraphy and painting and authored Continued Compilation of Tuhui Baojian.
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