Explore the Family Name Duan
The meaning of Duan
Chinese: 1. Mandarin form of the surname 段, meaning ‘segment’ or ‘paragraph’ in Chinese: (i) from the personal name Duan (段), style name of Gong Shu Duan (共叔段), younger brother of Duke Zhuang of Zheng (ruler of the state of Zheng, 757–701 BC), who later fled to the fief Gong due to his failure of a coup against his brother Duke Zhuang of Zheng. (ii) shortened form of the compound surname Duan-Gan (段干), traced back to Duan-Gan Mu (段干木), a person who lived in the state of Wei during the Warring States period (475–221 BC). (iii) from Duan (段), the name of a tribe from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China. 2. Mandarin form of the surname 端: (i) from Duan (端), the name of an ancient state (located in Shanxi province), which later became a fief in the state of Jin after its annihilation during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (ii) shortened form of the compound Chinese surname Duan-Mu (端木), a surname traced back to Duan Mu Ci (端木赐), a student of Confucius (551–479 BC). Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Lian, Ling, Xiaofeng, Zheng, Chang Min, Dongsheng, Guohong, Hongwei, Hongyi, Hongyu, Hui, Jian Ping, Hai Long, Cao, Hao, Long.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Duan in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Duan has seen a significant increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 22,870th but jumped to 16,728th by 2010, representing an improvement of nearly 27%. The count of people bearing the surname also rose from 1,045 to 1,710 during this period, marking an impressive 63.64% surge. The proportion per 100k also increased by approximately 49%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #22,870 | #16,728 | 26.86% |
| Count | 1,045 | 1,710 | 63.64% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.39 | 0.58 | 48.72% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Duan
When looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname Duan, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some interesting shifts over the decade. The Asian/Pacific Islander category saw a substantial increase, from 71.58% in 2000 to 90.23% in 2010. However, the White, Hispanic, and Black categories all experienced declines in association with the surname. Specifically, the number of individuals identifying as White dropped 65.34%, those identifying as Hispanic decreased by 58.75%, and those identifying as Black diminished by 76.48%. There was no change recorded for those identifying as "Two or more races" or "American Indian and Alaskan Native," remaining at 0% for both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 71.58% | 90.23% | 26.05% |
| White | 17.89% | 6.2% | -65.34% |
| Hispanic | 3.83% | 1.58% | -58.75% |
| Black | 4.21% | 0.99% | -76.48% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Duan ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Duan is Chinese, which comprises 89.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Manchurian & Mongolian (5.2%) and Korean (2.9%). Additional ancestries include Vietnamese, Chinese Dai, Ashkenazi Jewish, Central Asian, and Anatolian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 89.2% |
| Manchurian & Mongolian | 5.2% |
| Korean | 2.9% |
| Other | 2.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Duan
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Duan have recent ancestry locations all within China.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Shanghai, China | 21.30% |
| Fujian, China | 21.30% |
| Guangdong, China | 21.30% |
| Zhejiang, China | 21.30% |
| Hebei, China | 21.30% |
What Duan haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Duan is O-F2415, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F2415 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include E-M183 and O-F2859, which are predominantly found among people with European and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Duan surname are: M, B4, D4. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Cham
One of the many populations harboring members of haplogroup O1b1a1a1a1 is the Cham ethnic group, a group of people who speak Austronesian languages in Mainland Southeast Asia. Austronesian languages make up a language family that is extremely large and widespread, comprising over 350 million people on islands such as Madagascar, Easter Island, and many others. However, Austronesian languages are less common on mainland Asia, with a notable exception being the Chamic language. Research suggests that ancestors of the Cham people migrated from Southeast Asian islands to the mainland around the year 500 BCE, and that early Cham populations quickly began mixing with indigenous southern Vietnamese populations. As a result, the Chamic language now has words that were borrowed from languages spoken by indigenous Vietnamese people. It is likely that an ancestral Kinh population was one of the populations that mixed with the Cham people shortly after their migration to mainland Asia.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to the Han
Members of haplogroup D are found in both northern and southern Han Chinese populations at low to moderate frequencies. The Han people, who all share the same language and similar cultural practices, are the largest ethnic group in the world, with about 1.2 billion people. Historical evidence shows that Han people are descendants of the ancient Huaxia tribes that come from northern China, and Han language and culture only expanded into southern China in the last 2,000 years. The spread of Han people and culture from northern to southern China was likely driven by warfare and famine in the north.
What do people with the surname Duan have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Vanilla Ice Cream
Prefers vanilla flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Duan" Surname 33.3%
23andMe Users 36.7%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Duan" Surname 29.4%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Duan?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Duan are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition