Yan (surname)

Yan is a Chinese surname, it is the pinyin romanization for several Chinese characters such as "严 (嚴)", "晏 (晏)", "偃 (偃)", "颜 (晏)", "言 (言)", "燕 (燕)", "阎 (閻)", "闫 (閆)", "鄢 (鄢)" in simplified (traditional) form. Note that these characters are spelled as Yen in the Wade–Giles romanization system which was the prevalent one before the early 80s. From such, individuals and institutions whom have had to romanize their Chinese names prior to that time, such as when having their books translated or publishing manuscripts outside of China, used "Yen" instead of "Yan". Such examples include Yenching University and the Harvard-Yenching Institute. The Yan surname in Taiwan is mostly spelled as Yen since only until recently has the government approved the use of pinyin romanization of names. The Cantonese romanization of these surnames is "Yim". As such, most people from Hong Kong and Chinese diaspora that emigrated prior to 1949 from Guangdong use the name Yim. On many occasions, "甄 (甄)" in Cantonese is also romanized as Yan.

严 (嚴)

严 / 嚴
Romanization	Yan, Yen, Yim

The "严 (嚴)" (Yán) surname has various origins:

In the state of Chu, the branch of Xiong (熊) of the Zhuang surname (莊) was renamed to Yan (嚴).
Zhuang (莊) family change their names to Yan (嚴) upon the ascension of the Han Ming Emperor, whose personal name was Zhuang, owing to the naming taboo.
in Qin (state), Ying (嬴) family get surname Yan (嚴), branch of Yíng (Chinese surname)
during the Ancient, the State of Yan (嚴國) founded, there Citizen get surname Yan (嚴) with title of state
during the Sixteen Kingdoms, the royal of Xianbei get surname Yan (嚴), branch of Liu family the Xiongnu
Chinese Minority the Xibe people, Yi people, Tu people use surname Yan (嚴)
Also known as Yim

Notable people

Yan Yan, a general of the state of Shu Han during the era of the Three Kingdoms
Yen Chia-kan (born 1905–1993), President of Taiwan 1975-1978
Yan Fu (born 1854), Chinese scholar
Geling Yan (born 1958), Chinese writer
Yim Ho (born 1952) Hong Kong film directors, leader of Hong Kong New Wave
Yan Jiaqi (born 1942), Chinese political scientist and dissident
Yan Jinxuan (born 1924), Chinese composer of The White Haired Girl
Yan Junqi (born 1946), Vice chairwoman of the standing committee of the National People's Congress of China
Yan Pei-Ming (born 1960), Chinese-born French painter
Yan Shimin (born 1987), Chinese rower
Yan Shunkai (born 1937), Chinese comedian, actor and director
Sophia Yan (born 1986), American classical pianist
Yim Wing-chun, a Chinese legendary character, often cited in Wing Chun legends as the first master of the martial art bearing her name
Yan Yikuan (born 1979), Chinese actor and singer

阎 (閻)

阎 / 閻
Romanization	Yan

Yan (simplified Chinese: 阎; traditional Chinese: 閻) surname from Ji (姬) family of Zhou Dynasty, and some other surname Yan merge to Yan (閻) in the East Asian Nation.

Yan Su (1930-2016), Chinese lyricist and screenwriter
Yan Chongnian (born 1934) Chinese historian
Yan Weiwen (born 1957), Chinese opera singer with origins in the People's Liberation Army
Yan Lianke (born 1958), Chinese writer of novels and short stories
Yan Sen (born 1975), Chinese table tennis player
Yan Shipeng (born 1987), Chinese football player
Yan Song (footballer) (born 1981), Chinese footballer
Yan Xuetong (born 1952), Dean of the Institute of Modern International Relations at Tsinghua University
Yan Fang, Chinese softball player
Yan Hong, Chinese race walker

闫 (閆)

=闫 / 閆
Romanization	Yan

Yan (simplified Chinese: 闫; traditional Chinese: 閆) is the same as Yan (閻), only the shape of writing.

Yan Feng
Yan Han (figure skater), Chinese figure skater
Yan Meizhu (born 1989), Chinese team handball player
Yan Ni (born 1971), Chinese actress
Yan Xiangchuang (born 1986), Chinese footballer

颜 (顏)

颜 / 顏
Romanization	Hokkien: Gan Cantonese: Ngan Vietnamese: Nhan Korean: An

Also known as Gan in Hokkien or Ngan in Cantonese

Gan Kim Yong, Singapore politician
Yan Junling, Chinese football goalkeeper
Ngan Lok Fung, Hong Kong football midfielder
Yen Shui-long, Taiwanese painter and sculptor
Yan Hui, disciple of Confucius
Yan Huiqing, Chinese writer, politician, and diplomat from Shanghai
Kevin Ngan, Hong Kong fencer
Yan Jeou-rong, Taiwanese politician
Gan Eng Seng, Chinese businessman and philanthropist who was one of the early pioneers of Singapore
Yen Hsing-su, also known as Johnny Yen, Taiwanese basketball player
Johnny Ngan, Hong Kong film actor and television actor.
Yan Bingyan (颜丙燕), Chinese actress
Brendan Gan, (1988–present) Malaysian footballer
Yan Zhengzai (顏徵在), mother of Confucius
Steven Gan (颜重庆/顏重慶)(1963–present), Malaysian journalist
Gan Peck Cheng (simplified Chinese: 颜碧贞; traditional Chinese: 顏碧貞; pinyin: Yán Bìzhēn), Malaysian politician

晏

晏

The surname 晏 (Yàn) has three main sources:

Near 600 BC, the minister Yan Ruo (晏弱) of the state of Qi took Yan as his last name after he was assigned to govern the town of Yan (modern day town of Yancheng of Qihe county of Shandong province).

According to the Records of the Grand Historian, the name of the fifth son of Zhuanxu was Yang'an (阳安) whom chose to use the surname 晏 for his descendants.

According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas, Yan Long (晏龙), a minister of Emperor Yao is the earliest ancestor of the Yan surname on record.

Yan Ying (578-500 BC), prime minister of the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period.
An Ruzi (??-489 BC), also known as Yan Ruzi, ruled the state of Qi for a brief period after the death of Duke Jing of Qi.
Yan Shu (991-1055), writer and politician, served as prime minister during the Song dynasty
Y. C. James Yen (1890-1990), Chinese educator and organizer known for his literacy work in rural areas around the world.
Yan Zi (born 1984), Chinese tennis player.

甄

甄
Romanization	Mandarin: Zhen Cantonese: Yan, Yen

Further information: Zhen (surname)

Yan Lik Kin (born 1961), Hong Kong football coach
Martin Yan, Chinese American chef and food writer
Donnie Yen, Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and multiple-time world wushu tournament champion.

Unknown Chinese

Yan Huo, American hedge unfd manager
Yan Bingtao, Chinese snooker player
Yan Feng (athlete) Chinese paralympic athlete competing in throwing events
Yan Hong (swimmer) (born 1967), Chinese swimmer
Yan Huilian (born 1983), Chinese archer
Yan Jiankui (born 1976), Chinese sprinter
Yan Jing (born 1970), Chinese fencer
Yan Liang (handballer) (born 1985), Chinese handballer
Marline Yan, (born 1993), Canadian actress and singer
Stephen Yan, Hong Kong born Canadian cooking show host of Wok With Yan
Yan Wei, Chinese middle distance runner
Yan Xiandong, Chinese fencer

Other Chinese

Yan Yan (言)(506 BC-??), disciple of Confucius
Aaron Yan (炎) (born 1986), Taiwanese Mandopop
Jack Yan (甄) (born 1972), Hong Kong born New Zealander publisher and businessman
Jerry Yan (言) (born 1977), Taiwanese actor
Yan Xing (artist) (鄢), Chinese artist in performance as well as installations, video and photography

Burmese (ရန်ရ)

ရန်ရ
Romanization	Yan

Yan Aung Kyaw (born 1989), Burmese footballer for Myanmar national football team
Yan Aung Win (born 1992), Burmese footballer for Myanmar national football team
Yan Naing Oo (born 1996), Burmese footballer for Myanmar national football team
Yan Paing (born 1983), Burmese footballer for Myanmar national football team
Yan Yan Chan, Burmese singer

Other languages

Amanda Yan, Canadian wheelchair basketball player
Esteban Yan, Dominican baseball pitcher
Joseph Yan, Kiribati footballer
Vitali Yan, Russian football midfielder
Dennis Yan (born 1997), Russian-American ice hockey player, picked in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft

延

延

Yan (延) is a Chinese surname. It has various origins:

during the Han Dynasty, Xirong (西戎) the Loufan (樓煩) get surname Yan (延), branch of Pan (surname) (潘)
during the Northern Wei (北魏), Emperor Xiaowen (孝文帝) family get surname Yan (延)
during the Northern Wei (北魏), Xianbei noble's three-syllable surname was reduced to Yan (延)
during the Ancient, Yue people (越族) Baiyue (百越) get surname Yan (延) in Zhejiang the old Wu (state)