Ben (surname)

Ben (trad. 賁, simp. 贲) is a Chinese surname meaning "bright, energetic". It is romanized Pên in Wade–Giles, or Ban in Cantonese romanization. According to a 2013 study, it was not one of the top 400 surnames in modern China. It is the 179th name on the Hundred Family Surnames poem.

Origins

Several origins are claimed for the surname:

• from Xian Ben Fu (縣賁父) a carriage driver during the reign of Duke Zhuang of Lu (706–662 BC)
• from Hu Ben (虎賁), an official post in charge of guarding the king or the royal palace
• from the Ben Hun (賁渾), a minority ethnic group in ancient western China

Notable people

• Fan Ben (died 349), Chinese politician and emperor
• Sun Ben ( 190s–200s), Chinese general
• Wang Ben ( 220s BCE), Chinese general

References