my-server
← Wiki

Tan (surname)

Tan is a common Chinese surname . It is the 56th most commonly borne surname in China.

Origin

Two origins have been suggested for the Tan surname:

  • The surname came from the ancient State of Tan which was located in the western part of what is now Shandong Province. During the Spring and Autumn period, this state was conquered by the neighbouring State of Qi. The court changed their surname to Tan in remembrance of their defeated homeland, and later prospered in Hunan Province.
  • The surname came from the less common surname 談, another with the same pronunciation in Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese Chinese. In order to avoid the revenge of their enemies, the clan leaders changed it to 譚.

A study by geneticist Yuan Yida has found that people with either of the two Tan surnames are especially concentrated in Hunan Province which would tend to support these accounts. This does not mean that they are the most common surnames in that province.

Romanisation and pronunciation

Tan is the Chinese character's Hanyu Pinyin romanisation in Mandarin Chinese. It is pronounced and romanised differently in different languages and dialects.

Prominent people

Tam

Tham

  • Avvir Tham Pac Lun (, born 2004), Singaporean diver who became the first Singaporean man in 60 years to win a SEA Games diving gold medal (2025) and competed for Singapore at the 2022 Asian Games.

Tan

  • Amy Tan (, born 1952), American writer
  • Juan José Tan (born 1944), Peruvian football manager
  • Lewis Tan (born 1987), English actor
  • Meryem Tan (born 1999), Turkish wheelchair basketball player
  • Tan Dun (, born 1957), Chinese composer and pianist
  • Tan Jing (谭晶, born 1977), Chinese singer, philanthropist and congresswoman
  • Karen Tan Puay Kiow (born 1962), Singaporean army officer
  • Melinda Tan, British academic
  • Milagrosa Tan (1958–2019), Filipina politician
  • Shaun Tan (born 1974), Australian author and illustrator
  • Tan Sitong (, 1865–1898), Chinese politician
  • Tan Songyun (, born 1990), Chinese actress
  • Tan Sui Hoon (born 1963), Malaysian badminton player
  • Tan Yankai (, 1880–1930) Chinese politician and Premier of the Republic of China.
  • Yuanyuan Tan (譚元元, born 1977), Chinese ballet dancer; Principal Dancer at the San Francisco Ballet
  • Tan Yuanchun (, 1586–1637), Chinese scholar
  • Tan Zhenlin (, 1902–1983), Chinese politician
  • Tan Zhonglin (, 1822–1905) Qing dynasty scholar-official. Governor and viceroy of Shaanxi and Gansu Provinces.
  • Tan Zhongyi (, born 1991), Chinese chess grandmaster
  • Kirsten Danielle Tan Delavin (born 1999), Filipino former actress and model

Tom

Hom

  • Tom Hom (born 1927), American politician
  • Ken Hom (born 1949), American chef
  • Sharon Hom (born 1951), Hong Kong-born American human rights law professor
  • Alice Y. Hom (born 1967), American LGBTQ community activist

Clan villages

See also

References