Tan (surname)
Encyclopedia
Tan is a Chinese surname
. In a 2006 study of the 100 most common Chinese surnames, Tan was found to be the 67th most common. It is also used in Korea, although very rarely.
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.
's pinyin
romanisation in Mandarin
. It is pronounced and romanised differently in different languages and dialects.
Angelo P TanGELO
See also
Chinese surname
Chinese family names have been historically used by Han Chinese and Sinicized Chinese ethnic groups in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and among overseas Chinese communities. In ancient times two types of surnames, family names and clan names , existed.The colloquial expressions laobaixing...
. In a 2006 study of the 100 most common Chinese surnames, Tan was found to be the 67th most common. It is also used in Korea, although very rarely.
Origin
Two origins have been suggested for the Tan surname:- The surname came from the ancient State of TanTan (Shandong)-Foundation:In 1046 BCE, Di Xin , the last emperor of the Shang Dynasty , was defeated at the Battle of Muye by Wu Wang , who, in consequence, became the founder of the Zhou Dynasty . Following this victory, Wu Wang, also known as Jī Fā , founded a number of small subordinate vassal states to be...
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 QiQi (state)Qi was a powerful state during the Spring and Autumn Period and Period of the Warring States in ancient China. Its capital was Linzi, now part of the modern day city of Zibo in Shandong Province....
. 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 MandarinStandard MandarinStandard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
and CantoneseStandard CantoneseCantonese, or Standard Cantonese, is a language that originated in the vicinity of Canton in southern China, and is often regarded as the prestige dialect of Yue Chinese....
. In order to avoid the revenge of their enemies, the clan leaders changed it to 譚.
A study by geneticist
Geneticist
A geneticist is a biologist who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a researcher or lecturer. Some geneticists perform experiments and analyze data to interpret the inheritance of skills. A geneticist is also a Consultant or...
Yuan Yida
Yuan Yida
Yuan Yida is a researcher from the Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is a leading researcher on Chinese surnames in mainland China, and has been working on statistical studies of surname distribution in the People's Republic of China over the...
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
Tán is the Chinese characterChinese character
Chinese characters are logograms used in the writing of Chinese and Japanese , less frequently Korean , formerly Vietnamese , or other languages...
's pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
romanisation in Mandarin
Standard Mandarin
Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
. It is pronounced and romanised differently in different languages and dialects.
- In CantoneseStandard CantoneseCantonese, or Standard Cantonese, is a language that originated in the vicinity of Canton in southern China, and is often regarded as the prestige dialect of Yue Chinese....
, it is romanised as Taam4 in JyutpingJyutpingJyutping is a romanization system for Cantonese developed by the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong in 1993. Its formal name is The Linguistic Society of Hong Kong Cantonese Romanization Scheme...
and Tàahm in Cantonese Yale. It is also romanised as Tam in Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and MacaoMaçãoMação is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 400.0 km² and a total population of 7,763 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of eight parishes, and is located in the Santarém District....
. - In Taishanese, it may be romanised as Tom, Thom, Hom, Ham, or Hum.
- In Min NanMin NanThe Southern Min languages, or Min Nan , are a family of Chinese languages spoken in southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and southern Zhejiang provinces of China, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora....
, it is romanised as Thâm in POJ. - In VietnameseVietnamese languageVietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
, it is romanised as Đàm. - In SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Malaysia, it is sometime romanised as Tham.
Prominent people
- Alan TamAlan TamWing Lun Alan Tam, MH is an award-winning Hong Kong Cantopop and English pop singer and actor. During the early 1980s he played a major role in developing the cantopop scene as he was known for singing romantic ballads with modern arrangements. As of 2008, he is still active in the music...
(譚詠麟) - Amy TanAmy TanAmy Tan is an American writer whose works explore mother-daughter relationships. Her most well-known work is The Joy Luck Club, which has been translated into 35 languages...
(譚恩美) - Tan DunTan DunTan Dun is a Chinese contemporary classical composer, most widely known for his scores for the movies Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero.-Early life in China:...
(譚盾) - Tam KungTam KungTam Kung or Tam Tai Sin is a sea deity worshiped in Hong Kong and Macau.In Chinese folk legends, Tam Kung was one of gods who could forecast the weather. He was born in Huizhou Prefecture. It was said that he could cure patients in his childhood. Tam Kung became an immortal in heaven at the age...
(譚公) - Patrick Tam Kar Ming (譚家明)
- Patrick Tam Yiu ManPatrick Tam Yiu ManPatrick Tam Yiu Man is a Hong Kong actor and singer.-Films:*A Land without Boundaries *The Detective 2 *I Love Hong Kong *Just Another Pandora's Box *Here Comes Fortune...
(譚耀文) - Roman TamRoman TamRoman Tam, known by the stage name Lo Man , nickname Law Kee , was a renowned Hong Kong Cantopop singer. He is regarded as the "Godfather of Cantopop".-Career:...
(譚百先, stage name: 羅文) - Tan SitongTan SitongTan Sitong , courtesy name Fusheng, pseudonym Zhuangfei , was a well-known Chinese politician, thinker and revolutionist in the late Qing Dynasty who was in support of reform; he was however, finally executed because of the failure of the reformation...
(譚嗣同) - Tan ZhenlinTan ZhenlinTan Zhenlin was a political commissar in the People's Liberation Army during the Chinese Civil War, and a Communist politician after the establishment of the People's Republic of China.Tan Zhenlin was born in You County , Hunan Province...
(譚震林) - Tam Yiu-chung (譚耀宗)
- Steven TanSteven TanSteven Tan was a Singaporean footballer in the 1990s, who played in the Singapore national football team as a striker. He is now the head coach of S-League club, Tampines Rovers....
- Kelvin Tan
- Lucio TanLucio TanLucio Tan is a prominent Chinese Filipino business magnate and is one of the most prominent business magnates in the Philippines...
- Mely G. TanMely G. TanMely Tan Giok Lan , professionally known as Mely G. Tan, is a Chinese Indonesian sociologist. Tan obtained her bachelor's degree from the University of Indonesia, later receiving a scholarship to study at Cornell University...
Angelo P Tan
GELO
See also
- List of common Chinese surnames
- Chinese surnameChinese surnameChinese family names have been historically used by Han Chinese and Sinicized Chinese ethnic groups in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and among overseas Chinese communities. In ancient times two types of surnames, family names and clan names , existed.The colloquial expressions laobaixing...
- Chinese given nameChinese given nameChinese given names are generally made up of one or two characters, and are written after the family name, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be read "Smith John-Paul". Chinese names can consist of any character and contain almost any meaning...
- Generation nameGeneration nameGeneration name, variously zibei or banci, is one of the characters in a traditional Chinese name, and is so called because each member of a generation share that character, unlike surnames or given names...
- Chinese clanChinese clanA Chinese clan is a patrilineal and patrilocal group of related Chinese people with a common surname sharing a common ancestor and, in many cases, an ancestral home.-Description:...
- Chinese compound surnameChinese compound surnameA Chinese compound surname is a Chinese surname using more than one character. Many of these surnames derive from noble and official titles, professions, place names and other areas, to serve for a purpose. Some are originally non-Han, while others were created by joining two one-character family...
- Vietnamese nameVietnamese nameVietnamese names generally consist of three parts: a family name, a middle name, and a given name, used in that order. The "family name first" order follows the system of Chinese names and is common throughout the Sinosphere , but is different from Chinese, Korean, and Japanese names in having a...