Explore the Family Name Yan
The meaning of Yan
1. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 嚴, meaning ‘solemnity’ in Chinese: this surname evolved from another Chinese surname, 莊 (Zhuang in Mandarin pinyin, see Zhuang). People with the surname 莊 changed it to 嚴 (both Chinese characters mean ‘solemnity’) during the reign of Liu Zhuang (劉莊), also known as Emperor Ming of Han (28–75 AD), because the surname 莊 happened to be the personal name of the emperor, which was taboo in ancient China. Later some descendants kept the surname 嚴, whereas others changed back to the original surname 莊. 2. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 閻, meaning ‘hell’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from the placename Yan (閻), the name of a fief (located in Xihua in Henan province), said to have been granted to Zhongyi by King Wu of Zhou (c.1087–1043 BC). But it is also said that King Kang of Zhou (reigned c.1020–996 BC) granted the fiefdom of Yan to his youngest son. (ii) from the placename Yan (閻), the name of a fief (located around the town of Yanjing in Shanxi province) granted to Yi, the prince of the state of Jin (located in present-day Shanxi province) during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). 3. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 閆, which probably evolved from the surname 閻 (see 2 above). 4. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 顏, meaning ‘face’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from the personal name of Yan (顏), style name of Duke Wu of Zhu, also known as Zhu Yan Gong (Duke Yan of Zhu) or Yan Gong (Duke Yan), the 7th ruler of the state of Zhu (located in present-day Shandong province) during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). (ii) from the placename Yan (顏), the name of a fief (located in Shandong province) granted to Bo Qin, son of the first king of the state of Lu (located in present-day Shandong province) during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). 5. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 晏, meaning ‘late’ or ‘feast’ in ancient Chinese: (i) it is said that this surname is traced back to Yan An (晏安), the fifth son of Lu Zhong, said to have been a descendant of the legendary king Zhuanxu (traditional dates: 2514–2437 BC). (ii) it is said that this surname can also be traced back to Yan Long (晏龍), an official during the reign of the legendary Emperor Yao (c.24th century bc). (iii) the surname is also traced back to Yan Ruo (晏弱), a noble in the state of Qi (located mainly in present-day Shandong province) during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). 6. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 言, meaning ‘words, speech’ in Chinese: (i) in some cases, the surname is borne by descendants of the royal families of the state of Han (located mainly in present-day Shaanxi and Henan provinces), who were descendants of Huan Shu of Quwo (802–731 BC). (ii) in other families, the surname is traced back to Yan Yan (言偃), a student of Confucius (551–479 BC). 7. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 燕, meaning ‘swallow’ in Chinese: (i) from Yan (燕), the name of an ancient state (located in Henan province) dating back to the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC), known as the South Yan. (ii) from Yan (燕), the name of a state (located in present-day Hebei and Liaoning provinces), known as ‘North Yan’. This was originally granted to Shao Gong Shi (Duke of Shao), brother of King Wu of Zhou (c.1087–1043 BC). After the state was annexed by the state of Qin (located originally in present-day W Shaanxi province) in 222 BC, people adopted the name of the state, 燕, as their surname. (iii) a surname from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China. 8. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 鄢: (i) from Yan (鄢), the name of a small state (located in Yanling, in Henan province), which was annexed by the state of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (ii) from Yan (鄢), the name of another small state (located in Hubei province) during the Warring States period (475–221 BC). 9. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 彦, meaning ‘talented people’ in Chinese, said to be borne by the descendants of Jiang Ziya or Jiang Tai Gong (c.11th century bc), an official during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). It was also said to be borne by the descendants of an official in the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). 10. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 延, meaning ‘extend’ in Chinese: (i) said to be from the personal name Yan (延), the name of the third son of Feng Feng, an official during the reign of the legendary emperor Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c.27th century bc). (ii) from the placename Yan Ling (延陵), the name of a fief (located in Jiangsu province) granted to Zha, prince of the state of Wu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iii) adopted as a surname by the Ke Di Yan (可地延) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). (iv) a surname from other minority ethnic groups in China. 11. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 岩, meaning ‘rock’ in Chinese. 12. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 甄, see Zhen. 13. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surnames 殷 and 印, see Yin 1 and 3. 14. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 忻, see Xin 3. 15. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 袁, see Yuan 1. 16. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 楊, see Yang 1. 17. Burmese: from the male personal name Yan (originally forming part of a compound name), of unexplained etymology. — Note: Since Burmese do not have hereditary surnames, this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US. 18. Cambodian: written យ៉ាន or យ៉ន, of Chinese origin, from 嚴, meaning ‘solemnity’ (see 1 above). 19. Americanized form of North German, Sorbian, Czech, Slovak, or Polish (and perhaps also Slovenian or Danish) Jan or Ján ‘John’. 20. In some cases possibly also Breton (mainly Finistère): variant of Yann ‘John’. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Yan, Hong, Ming, Li, Man, Chi, Ying, Kam, Siu, Wai, Wei, Wing, Chung, Pak, Kwok Fai, Min, Yuet, Chong, Chun Ho, Hu, Shen, Sook Ja, Yeung. Vietnamese Lan, Hai, Hung, Sau, Tin, Chau, Chut, Dam, Dat, Hau, Huan, Lap.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Yan in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Yan has seen a significant increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 4091st most common surname, but by 2010, it had risen to the 3182nd position, indicating a positive change of 22.22%. The actual count of individuals with this surname also increased from 8,016 in 2000 to 11,354 in 2010, a substantial growth of 41.64%. This suggests an increasing number of people with the surname Yan, with the proportion per 100,000 people climbing by 29.63% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,091 | #3,182 | 22.22% |
| Count | 8,016 | 11,354 | 41.64% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.97 | 3.85 | 29.63% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Yan
In terms of ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that the majority of people with the surname Yan identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. From 2000 to 2010, the percentage of Yan's identifying with this ethnicity increased from 89.13% to 94.06%, a rise of 5.53%. Those identifying as having two or more races declined by 34.36%, while those identifying as white decreased by 51.39%. The proportion of Yan's identifying as Hispanic fell slightly by 9.52%. Lastly, those identifying as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native were recorded as 0% in 2010; the previous data for these categories was suppressed for privacy reasons.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 89.13% | 94.06% | 5.53% |
| White | 6.11% | 2.97% | -51.39% |
| Hispanic | 1.47% | 1.33% | -9.52% |
| Two or More Races | 1.63% | 1.07% | -34.36% |
| Black | 1.53% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.11% | 0% | 0% |
Yan 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 Yan is Chinese, which comprises 82.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Korean (3.0%) and Chinese Dai (2.8%). Additional ancestries include Manchurian & Mongolian, Vietnamese, Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian, Filipino & Austronesian, and British & Irish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 82.9% |
| Korean | 3.0% |
| Chinese Dai | 2.8% |
| Other | 11.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Yan
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 Yan have recent ancestry locations all within China.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Guangdong, China | 36.20% |
| Shandong, China | 35.90% |
| Fujian, China | 35.90% |
| Jiangsu, China | 35.90% |
| Zhejiang, China | 35.70% |
What Yan 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 Yan is O-F8, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F8 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-F46 and O-M307.1, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Sun, Wang, Zhang, Li, Lu, Guo, Zhu, Wu, Gao, Zhao.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Yan surname are: F1a1, D4, M7b. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Han Chinese
Haplogroup O-Page23 has been found in several populations of the Han Chinese ethnic group. The ancestors of the Han, called the Huaxia, lived in the upriver basin of the Yellow River 5,000-6,000 years ago. As agricultural technology improved, the Huaxia spread east and south, and became the Han Chinese. Over the last 2,000 years, there have been three major migrations of the Han southward. The first of these migrations occurred during the Jin Dynasty from 317 to 420 CE, when nearly one million people moved south. A second migration occurred during the Tang Dynasty, after the An-Shi Rebellion, between 755 and 762 CE. The last migration occurred during the Southern Song Dynasty, from 1127 to 1297 CE, when nearly 5 million people migrated southward. The Pinghua, a branch of Han in which haplogroup O2a2b1a1 is particularly common, may be descendants of indigenous minority groups that adopted Han culture during one such major migration event.
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 Yan 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
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Yan" Surname 30.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Yan" Surname 29.5%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Yan" Surname 12.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Yan" Surname 6.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Yan?
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 Yan are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition