Surname Overview
The surname Yan is pronounced yān and is currently rare.
Yan Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 21Yan / Yan
Origins
Ethnic Origins
Among the Pumi, the Yan surname derives from the Balowazhi surname; Han surnames used by the Balowazhi include Ma, Yang, and Yan.
Historical Records
Documentary Attestations
The Yan surname appears in the Xingyuan and is also recorded in Xu Tongzhi, Clan Names; Xing shi kao lüe further cites Chi Bei Ou Tan for a Yan surname in the Sanfasi Yuan shu.
Migration and Distribution
Geographic Distribution
The Yan surname is found in Linqing in Shandong, Quyang in Hebei, Hohhot in Inner Mongolia, Yunnan, Beijing, and also in Xixian and Neihuang in Henan, Lingshou and Xincheng in Hebei, Xinfeng in Guangdong, Huainan in Anhui, and Daxing in Beijing.
Notable People
Historical and Contemporary Figures
Yan Luozi, also known as Yan Zhenren, was a notable Daoist of the Five Dynasties; Yan Jianhua and Yan Yuming are noted contemporary scholars.
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