Yan (surname 阎)


In 2008, pinyin Yán was estimated to be the 75th most common surname in the People's Republic of China, shared by around 3.1 million citizens, making it the most common of the surnames written “Yan” without tone markers.
The surname 闫, also Yán, was created as a result of the Second round of simplified Chinese characters, in 1977. Although this series of simplifications was soon retracted, some people retained the simplified surname. One source even suggests that 阎 now more common, as it is shared by 4,900,000 people, and the 78th-most common name, compared to 闫, shared by 3,200,000 people, or the 103rd most common name. Both appear on the Hundred Family Surnames poem.
It may be derived from one of the following sources:

Notable people