Zan (surname)

Zan (昝) is a Chinese surname. It is romanized Tsan in Wade–Giles, or Zaan in Cantonese romanization. According to a 2013 study, it was the 391st most common name in China; it was shared by 87,000 people, or 0.007% of the population, with the province with the most people being Sichuan. It is the 165th name on the Hundred Family Surnames poem.

Origins

• According to the Shuowen Jiezi, the surname may have originated as a corruption of (cǎn), which had a similar pronunciation.
• a surname originating in ancient southwestern China
• adopted as a surname by the Zan Lu (昝盧) or Chi Lu (叱盧) families from the Xianbei people in northern China during the Northern Wei period (AD 386–534)
• said to be adopted in place of the surname Jiu ( meaning ‘disaster’)

Notable people

• Zan Jian (昝堅), Jin-era general
• Zan Jiaxiang (昝家驤), basketball player and coach

References