Han (Chinese surname)

the Korean surname

Han is a common Chinese surname. The spelling "Han" is based on China's pinyin system and so used throughout Mainland China. Spelling can vary from 'Hon' in Cantonese speaking areas to 'Hang' in Hainan. It is the 15th name on the Hundred Family Surnames poem. In 2003, Han (韩) is ranked 25th in China in terms of the number of bearers at around 8 million persons. In 2019 it was the 28th most common surname in Mainland China. Less common Chinese surnames romanized as Han include: 寒 (Hán) and 汉/漢 (Hàn).

'姬' (Jì) is an ancient Chinese surname. It is an alternate surname of the Yellow Emperor (Gongsun Xuanyuan) and the Zhou ruling family. A descendant of King Wu of Zhou, Wan, was given land in Hanyuan. Wan's descendants created the State of Han during the Warring States period. When the state was conquered by Qin in 230 BC, members of the ruling family adopted Han '韩' as their surname.

Non Han ethnic groups tend to adopt Chinese surnames through the process known as sinicization. During the reforms of Emperor Xiao Wen of Northern Wei, the Xianbei surname 'Dahan', 大汗 (dà hàn) in Chinese, was changed to Han '韩' because the two names sound similar after 'Da' or '大' is dropped. Manchu clan names Hacihuri , Hangiya , Hanja , Hanyan , and Gilate were changed to Han '韩'.

The mythical Yellow Emperor had a son Chang Yi (昌意), who had a son with the given name Han Liu (韩流). Those who claimed to be Han Liu's descendants adopted Han as their surname.

The Salar Muslims voluntarily joined the Ming Dynasty. The Salar clan leaders each capitulated to the Ming Dynasty around 1370. The chief of the four upper clans around this time was Han Pao yuan and Ming granted him office of centurion, it was at this time the people of his four clans took Han as their surname. The other chief Han Shan pa of the four lower Salar clans got the same office from Ming, and his clans were the ones who took Ma as their surname. The upper four clans of the Salar assumed the surname Han and lived west of Xunhua. Han Youwen was another Salar General, who served in the Communist People's Liberation Army.