The surname Ān is a Chinese surname () which literally means "peace" or "tranquility". It also serves as an abbreviation of ''Ānxī'' (安息), meaning "

Arsacid The Parthian Empire (), also known as the Arsacid Empire (), was a major Iranian political and cultural power centered in ancient Iran from 247 BC to 224 AD. Its latter name comes from its founder, Arsaces I, who led the Parni tribe ...

" in Chinese and can be romanized as ''On''. Visitors to China who came from Arsacid-held territories often took the name ''An''. In 2008, it was the 110th most common surname in the People's Republic of China, shared by over 1.7 million citizens.中国最新300大姓排名（2008
tatistics on the number of citizens with each surname in China, based on records of National Identity Cards" 2009-01-06. Accessed 20 Jun 2015. The surname is most common in

Northern China Northern China () and Southern China () are two approximate regions that display certain differences in terms of their geography, demographics, economy, and culture. Extent The Qinling, Qinling–Daba Mountains serve as the transition zone ...

. It is the 79th name on the ''

Hundred Family Surnames The ''Hundred Family Surnames'' (), commonly known as ''Bai Jia Xing'', also translated as ''Hundreds of Chinese Surnames'', is a classic Chinese language , Chinese text composed of common Chinese surnames. An unknown author compiled the book ...

'' poem.K. S. Tom.

989 Year 989 ( CMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Emperor Basil II uses his contingent of 6,000 Varangians to help him defeat Bardas Phokas (the Younger), who suffe ...

(1989). Echoes from Old China: Life, Legends and Lore of the Middle Kingdom.

University of Hawaii Press A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

. . During the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

, another Ǎn (俺) was a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

Chinese surname.

Origins of Ān (安)

Iranian

Parthian

During the Qin and

Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

, the most common origin of the surname An was as a contraction of Anxi, meaning "Arsacid", and was thus given to people of Arsacid-territory origin, such as

An Shigao An Shigao (, Korean: An Sego, Japanese: An Seikō, Vietnamese: An Thế Cao) (fl. c. 148–180 CE) was an early Buddhist missionary to China, and the earliest known translator of Indian Buddhist texts into Chinese. According to legend, he was a p ...

, a Prince of Persia from the

Arsacid Empire The Parthian Empire (), also known as the Arsacid Empire (), was a major Iranian political and cultural power centered in ancient Iran from 247 BC to 224 AD. Its latter name comes from its founder, Arsaces I, who led the Parni tribe i ...

. An Xuan, another

Parthian Parthian may refer to: Historical * Parthian people * A demonym "of Parthia", a region of north-eastern of Greater Iran * Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD) * Parthian language, a now-extinct Middle Iranian language * Parthian shot, an archery sk ...

, followed

Luoyang Luoyang ( zh, s=洛阳, t=洛陽, p=Luòyáng) is a city located in the confluence area of the Luo River and the Yellow River in the west of Henan province, China. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zheng ...

and assisted in his translations of Buddhist texts. During the 3rd century, An Faqin (安法欽), a Parthian Buddhist from the

Parthian Empire The Parthian Empire (), also known as the Arsacid Empire (), was a major Iranian political and cultural power centered in ancient Iran from 247 BC to 224 AD. Its latter name comes from its founder, Arsaces I, who led the Parni tribe ...

, came to Xijin (西晉).

Sogdian

In the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

period 9th century, An was also sometimes used as the name for the region of

Sogdia Sogdia () or Sogdiana was an ancient Iranian peoples, Iranian civilization between the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, and in present-day Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Sogdiana was also a province of the Achaemen ...

; previously, Sogdians had exclusively used the surname of Kang (康). The addition was due to the existence of two Sogdian kingdoms, identified as An and

Kangju Kangju (; Eastern Han Chinese: ''kʰɑŋ-kɨɑ'' standard Chinese ''Kāngjū''), proposes that it was an Iranian word meaning "stone", and compares it to Pashto ''kā́ṇay'' "stone". Joseph Marquart, Omeljan Pritsak and Peter B. Golde ...

; the state of An was accordingly named due to its occupation by the Arsacids.Xue, Zongzheng (1992). ''A History of the Turks''. Beijing: Chinese Social Sciences Press. . p. 329, 602-606 It is considered one of the "

Nine Sogdian Surnames Sogdia () or Sogdiana was an ancient Iranian civilization between the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, and in present-day Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Sogdiana was also a province of the Achaemenid Empire, and l ...

Xueyantuo

During the

Northern Wei Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei ( zh, c=北魏, p=Běi Wèi), Tuoba Wei ( zh, c=拓跋魏, p=Tuòbá Wèi), Yuan Wei ( zh, c=元魏, p=Yuán Wèi) and Later Wei ( zh, t=後魏, p=Hòu Wèi), was an Dynasties of China, impe ...

period in the 6th century,

Anchi The Antsi (Anchi) language or Mag-antsi (also Mag-Anchi Ayta) is a Sambalic language with around 4,200 speakers. It is spoken within Philippine Aeta communities in the Zambal municipalities of Botolan, San Marcelino, and Castillejos; in the T ...

Anzhi Football Club Anzhi Makhachkala (, ), known simply as FC Anji, was a Russian professional football club based in the Dagestani capital of Makhachkala. Founded in 1991, the club last competed in the third-tier Russian Football National League 2 ...

(安迟) was the

Xianbei The Xianbei (; ) were an ancient nomadic people that once resided in the eastern Eurasian steppes in what is today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Northeastern China. The Xianbei were likely not of a single ethnicity, but rather a multiling ...

surname of

Uyghur people The Uyghurs,. alternatively spelled Uighurs, Uygurs or Uigurs, are a Turkic ethnic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the general region of Central Asia and East Asia. The Uyghurs are recognized as the titular nationali ...

(回鶻人) a division of the

Hui people The Hui people are an East Asian ethnoreligious group predominantly composed of Islam in China, Chinese-speaking adherents of Islam. They are distributed throughout China, mainly in the Northwest China, northwestern provinces and in the Zhongy ...

; they later reduced the surname to An (安). During the

in the 8th century, the An (安) family name was used among the

Xueyantuo The Xueyantuo or Sir Tardush were an ancient Tiele people, Tiele tribe and khaganate in Northeast Asia who were at one point vassals of the Göktürks, later aligning with the Tang dynasty against the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, Eastern Göktürk ...

(薛延陀) people.

Khitan

During the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

, Ardan (阿爾丹) the

Daur people The Daurs, Dagur, Daghur, or Dahur ( Dagur:Daure; Khalkha Mongolian: , ; ; Russian: Дауры, Daury) are a Mongolic people originally native to Dauriya and now predominantly located in Northeast China (and Siberia, Russia, in the past). The ...

(達斡爾族) were given the surname An (安) with the Ar dialect.

Notable people

Historical figures

An Chonghui An Chonghui (d. June 25, 931?''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 277.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter) (, fl. 10th century) was the chief of staff ('' Shumishi'') and chief advisor to Li Siyuan (Emperor Mingzong) (r. 926–933) of the Ch ...

(安重誨), a minister of

Later Tang Tang, known in historiography as the Later Tang, was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China and the second of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in Chinese history. The first three of the Later Tang's four ...

An Congjin An Congjin (; died 942) was a general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period states Later Tang and Later Jin. In 941, he rebelled against the rule of Later Jin's founding emperor Shi Jingtang, but was defeated, and he then commi ...

(安從進), a general of Later Tang and

Later Jin (Five Dynasties) Jin, known as the Later Jìn ( zh, s=后晋, t=後晉, hp=Hòu Jìn, 936–947) or the Shi Jin (石晉) in historiography, was an imperial dynasty of China and the third of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms per ...

* An Chongrong (安重榮), a general of the Later Jin (Five Dynasties) * An Chongzhang (安重璋), Sogdian general and Duke of Liang during the Tang dynasty who had his name changed to Li Baoyu amid the

An Lushan Rebellion The An Lushan rebellion was a civil war in China that lasted from 755 to 763, at the approximate midpoint of the Tang dynasty (618–907). It began as a commandery rebellion attempting to overthrow and replace the Tang government with the rogue ...

(to distance himself and his family from the notoriety of the rebel An Lushan) * An Faqin (安法欽), Parthian Buddhist in Xijin (西晉) the Chinese state * An Jincang (安金藏), Tang Dynasty court *

An Lushan An Lushan (; 20th day of the 1st month (19 February) 703 – 29 January 757) was a Chinese military general and rebel leader during the Tang dynasty and is primarily known for instigating the An Lushan Rebellion which devastated China and kill ...

(安祿山), Sogdian-born provincial military governor during the

* An Min (安民), Song Dynasty official stone carver * An Qingxu, Chinese nobility, son of

(安世高), the first Buddhist missionary to China and a former

prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

An Sishun An Sishun () (died April 6, 756) was a general of the Chinese Tang dynasty during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, probably of Tujue ( Göktürk) extraction. He was related to another general, An Lushan.The exact nature of An Sishun's relationship ...

(安思順), Tang Dynasty general * An Xuan, who followed An Shigao to

several decades later * An Yanyan (安延偃), adoptive father of

Iranian Iranian () may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Iran ** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran ** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia ** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...

origin, rumoured to have been surnamed Kang originallyAn Lushan's biography in the ''New Book of Tang'', in addition to indicating that his original name was Galuoshan, also indicated that his original surname was Kang, implying that his father was surnamed Kang. However, his biography in the ''Book of Tang'' indicated that An Lushan "originally did not have a surname." Compare ''Book of Tang'', vol. 200, part 1, with ''New Book of Tang'', vol. 225, part 1. * An Zhengwen (安正文), Ming Dynasty painter

Modern

Andy On Andy On () (born May 11, 1977) is an American actor and martial artist. Life and career On was born on May 11, 1977, in Providence, Rhode Island. He can speak English, Mandarin, and a bit of Cantonese. Andy On did not graduate from high school ...

(安志杰; born 1977), American actor and martial artist * An Dehai (安德海; 1844–1869), Qing Dynasty eunuch *

An Disheng An Disheng (, 1868 – ?), later changed into An Houzhai (), was a Chinese artist and activist. Biography An Difsheng was born at Xianghe County, Metropolitan District, in 1868. He received his Chinese education in the old Confucian school ...

(安迪生; 1868–?), Chinese artist and activist * An Dongquan (安东权; born 1987), Chinese para-athlete, Paralympic bronze medalist * An Feng (安风; born 1987), Chinese-born American actress, changed her name to

Liu Yifei Liu Yifei (; born August 25, 1987) is a Chinese-born American actress. She has appeared multiple times on ''Forbes'' China Celebrity 100 list and was named one of the New Four Dan actresses of China by Tencent Entertainment in 2009. She is k ...

(刘亦菲) * An Jiayao (安家瑶; born 1947), Chinese archaeologist * An Jin (安进; born 1957), Chinese former executive and politician * Kai-Nan An (安介南), Taiwanese biomedical engineering researcher and academic *

An Pingsheng An Pingsheng () (1917–1999) was a People's Republic of China politician. He was governor of Guangxi (1975–1977) and secretary of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (1975–1977). Born in Xi'an, Sh ...

(安平生; 1917–1999), Chinese politician * An Qi (安琦; born 1981), Chinese football goalkeeper * An Qixuan (安琦轩; born 2000), Chinese archer, Olympic silver medalist * An Qiyuan (安启元; 1933–2024), Chinese politician * An Weijiang (安伟江; born 1983), Chinese speed skater *

An Xiangyi An Xiangyi (; born 24 December 2006) is a Chinese figure skater. She is a two-time Asian trophy champion (2023 and 2024) and a two-time (2020 Chinese Figure Skating Championships, 2020 and 2022 Chinese Figure Skating Championships, 2022) natio ...

(安香怡; born 2006), Chinese figure skater *

Yoson An Yoson An (; born June 22, 1992) is a Chinese-New Zealand actor and filmmaker. Early life An was born in Guangdong and grew up learning English at an international school in Macau. His parents left China for more economic opportunities abroad, m ...

(安柚鑫; born 1992), Chinese-New Zealand actor and filmmaker * An Yuexi (安悦溪; born 1989), Chinese actress *

An Yulong An Yulong (; born 23 July 1978) is a Chinese short track speed skater, who won medals in the 500 m and 5000 m relay at the 1998 Winter Olympics. He also skated for the bronze medal-winning relay team at the 2002 Winter Olympic ...

(安玉龙; born 1978), Chinese short track speed skater, Olympic silver medalist * An Zhaoqing (安兆庆; born 1957), Chinese retired general * An Zhengyu (安征宇; born 1963), Chinese former politician * An Zhisheng (安芷生; born 1941), Chinese geographer and politician * An Zhongxin (安仲欣; born 1971), Chinese softball player, Olympic silver medalist *

An Ziwen An Ziwen (; 25 September 1909 – 25 June 1980), born as An Zhihan (安之瀚), was a Chinese politician and member of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. He served as minister of the CCP Central Committee Organization Departme ...

(安子文; 1909–1980), Chinese politician * An Zuozhang (安作璋; 1927–2019), Chinese historian and educator

Stage name

Ady An Ady An Yi-xuan (; born on 29 September 1980), is a Taiwanese actress and singer. She is known for TV dramas ''The Outsiders'' (2004), '' Chinese Paladin'' (2005), and ''Autumn's Concerto'' (2009). Career An was born into a wealthy family in ...

(安以軒; born Wu Wen-ching (吳玟靜), 1980), Taiwanese actress and singer *

Amber An Amber An (), born Liao Ching-ling (), is a Taiwanese actress, singer, television host, and model. Career An was a model before officially entering the entertainment industry. She appeared on the variety show ''Guess'' and subsequently signe ...

(安心亞; born Liao Ching-ling (廖婧伶), 1985), Taiwanese actress, singer, television host, model *

Shone An Shone An (; 20 September 1983 – 1 June 2015) was a Taiwanese singer, actor and television host. Early life On 20 September 1983, An was born in East District, Tainan, East District, Tainan. He was the only child in his family. His birth n ...

(安鈞璨; born Huang Yi-cheng (黃益承), 1983–2015), Taiwanese singer, actor, television host

References

{{surname, An Chinese-language surnames China–Iran relations