The Tan Family Name#

Family Name: Tan, Pronunciation: tán

Distribution of the Tan Family Name#

• Jiayang Commandery: Established during the reign of Emperor Hui of the Jin Dynasty, with its administrative center in Luoyang. This area corresponds to the eastern part of present-day Lankao in Henan Province and the southern part of Dongming in Shandong Province.
• Qi Commandery: Reorganized from Linzi Commandery during the Western Han Dynasty, with its administrative center in Linzi (now part of Zibo City). This region includes present-day Zibo City in Shandong Province, as well as Yidu, Guangrao, and Linqu counties.
• Hongnong Commandery: Established in the fourth year of the Yuanding era of the Western Han Dynasty (113 BCE), with its administrative center in Hongnong (north of present-day Lingbao in Henan Province). This area encompasses the Luo, Yi, and Zhechuan river basins to the south of present-day Henan Province, as well as the upper reaches of the Luoshui and Ducchuan rivers in Shaanxi Province.

Origins of the Tan Family Name#

The Tan family name originates from:

1. Ancient ethnic minorities in the southwestern regions of China. According to the “Wanxing Tongpu” (Comprehensive Genealogy), six families in the Banan area (present-day Yunnan and Guizhou) claimed to be descendants of Pangu and traced their ancestry back to Hongnong. These are considered the Tan families in Yunnan and Guizhou.
2. Some families changed their surname from “Tan” to avoid taboos or conflicts. As recorded in the “Wanxing Tongpu,” some members of the Tan family removed the “ren” (speech) character from their surname to avoid negative associations, resulting in the surname “Qin.”

Migration and Distribution

The Tan family name ranks 65th among the most common surnames in China today. During the Zhou Dynasty, there was a state called Tan (located west of present-day Zhangqiu in Shandong Province), which was said to be a fiefdom of the descendants of Boyi (the ancestor of the Ying clan). Later, this area became part of the Qi state, and some of the residents or nobles there adopted the state name as their surname. The ancestors of the Tan family can be traced back to Huangdi (the Yellow Emperor). During the Pre-Qin period, the Tan family name was prevalent in Shandong and Henan provinces. After the Qin, Han, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Tan family name spread throughout China. By the Tang Dynasty, it had become a prominent surname in Hunan, and its main population moved from the north to southern China. Major migrations and cultural integrations during the Song, Yuan, and Ming Dynasties further shaped the current distribution of the Tan family name, with significant populations in Hunan, Guangdong, and Jiangxi provinces.

In the Song Dynasty, there were approximately 230,000 people with the Tan surname, accounting for 0.3% of the national population, ranking 67th in popularity. Hunan was the province with the largest Tan population, accounting for about 59% of the total Tan population nationwide. The main concentrations were in Hunan and Guangdong, with these two provinces together accounting for 75% of the national Tan population. Other significant populations were found in Jiangxi, Sichuan, Shandong, and Hebei.

During the Ming Dynasty, the Tan family name had approximately 260,000 people, accounting for 0.28% of the national population, ranking 78th. The population growth rate of the Tan family name was slower than the national average during this period. By the Qing Dynasty, the total number of Tan people in China had increased to about 8.7 million, making it the 67th most common surname, with Hunan still being the province with the largest population (about 22% of the total). The distribution of the Tan family name became more widespread, with major concentrations in Hunan, Guangdong, Sichuan, and Jiangxi.

Today, the Tan family name is the 67th most common surname in China, with approximately 8.7 million people, accounting for 0.3% of the national population. The population has increased significantly over the past 600 years, growing at a faster rate than the national average. The current distribution of the Tan family name is mainly concentrated in Hunan, Guangdong, and Sichuan, with additional populations in other provinces such as Chongqing, Guangxi, Hubei, and Liaoning.

Hall Names (Tanghao):

• “Shanduan Tang” (Hall of Good Judgment): During the reign of Emperor Xianzong of the Tang Dynasty, Tan Zhong served as a military officer for the state of Yan and was sent on a diplomatic mission to the state of Wei. At that time, the imperial court dispatched a large army to attack Zhao. Tan Zhong advised against the attack, stating that it would be against the authority of the court and would lead to significant consequences for Wei. Wei’s ruler, Tian Ji’an, heeded his advice and did not act. Tan Zhong also persuaded Liu Ji, another military leader of Yan, to assist the court in attacking Zhao, resulting in the capture of Zhao’s cities of Raoyang and Shulu. Both Wei and Yan were commended by the court for Tan Zhong’s wise judgment.
• Other hall names include “Jinan Tang” and “Hongnong Tang.”