Chinese surname
Chinese surnames are used by Han Chinese and Sinicized ethnic groups in China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, and among overseas Chinese communities around the world such as Singapore and Malaysia. Written Chinese names begin with surnames, unlike the ...
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
, the surname is
romanised
Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and ...
as Kwan in Cantonese. In
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
, the
Wade–Giles
Wade–Giles () is a romanization system for Mandarin Chinese. It developed from a system produced by Thomas Francis Wade, during the mid-19th century, and was given completed form with Herbert A. Giles's '' Chinese–English Dictionary'' of ...
spelling Kuan is used. In
Macao
Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...
, the surname is as Kuan due to the Portuguese influence.
In many
overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese () refers to people of Chinese birth or ethnicity who reside outside Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. As of 2011, there were over 40.3 million overseas Chinese.
Terminology
() or ''Hoan-kheh'' () in Hokkien, refe ...
communities, both spellings, Kuan and Kwan, as well as Quan, are common.
It is also a Vietnamese surname that uses the same character, romanised as Quan.
It is also a Japanese surname, Seki ( ja, 関), that uses the same character.
The Vietnamese surname, Quan and the Japanese surname, Seki, was derived from the same Chinese character as the Chinese surname (The Japanese
Kanji
are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...
関 is a
Shinjitai
are the simplified forms of kanji used in Japan since the promulgation of the Tōyō Kanji List in 1946. Some of the new forms found in ''shinjitai'' are also found in Simplified Chinese characters, but ''shinjitai'' is generally not as extensiv ...
of the Chinese character 關).
Origin and timeline
A number of groups in different geographic areas are believed to have shared the surname in history.
*Guan(关 or 關) - meaning is City Gate, or Close the City Gate - originally name for an official, then became a surname.
*During the 23rd century BCE, Dongfu (董父) was a descendant of the ruler Shuan (叔安) in
Chifeng
Chifeng ( zh, s=赤峰市), also known as Ulanhad ( mn, (Улаанхад хот), ''Ulaɣanqada qota'', , "red cliff"), is a prefecture-level city in Southeastern Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China. It borders Xilin Gol League to the ...
within the old Rehe Province of the Khitan state. Dongfu married a daughter of Emperor Yao's tribe, using the surname Dong (董), which later became the surname Kwan (關).
*In 1650 BCE, during the
Xia Dynasty
The Xia dynasty () is the first dynasty in traditional Chinese historiography. According to tradition, the Xia dynasty was established by the legendary Yu the Great, after Shun, the last of the Five Emperors, gave the throne to him. In tradi ...
,
Guan Longfeng
Guan may refer to:
* Guan (surname), several similar Chinese surnames
** Guān, Chinese surname
* Guan (state), ancient Chinese city-state
* Guan (bird), any of a number of bird species of the family Cracidae, of South and Central America
* Guan ...
(關龍逢) was an officer of
Jie of Xia
King Jie (; traditionally 1728–1675 BC) was the 17th and last ruler of the Xia dynasty of China. He is traditionally regarded as a tyrant and oppressor who brought about the collapse of a dynasty.劉煒/著. 002(2002) Chinese civilization in a n ...
's reign.
*In 643 BCE, during the
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by th ...
, near Mount Xiao within the nation of Jin, the Ji (姬) family used the surname of Dongguan (東關) with region name
Dongguan
Dongguan (; ) is a prefecture-level city in central Guangdong Province, China. An important industrial city in the Pearl River Delta, Dongguan borders the provincial capital of Guangzhou to the north, Huizhou to the northeast, Shenzhen to the s ...
(東關). In China it is common for clans possessing the same surname to live in a
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
together, with their surname designating the name of the village. Later, the Dongguan (東關) family branched into two surnames: Dǒng (東), and Guan (關). Dongguan Wu (東關五) was an officer of Jin.
*In 604 BCE, during the Zhou Dynasty, an officer named
Yin Xi
Yinxi, formerly romanized as Yin-hsi (), was a legendary figure of Zhou China. He was said to have been a guard at the western gate of the Zhou capital Chengzhou (present-day Luoyang) or, alternatively, at the western pass out of the Luo– ...
(尹喜) is reported to have taken the name Guan Yin (關尹) as his name in public office, designating 關 as his surname. Subsequent generations continued to use 關 as their surname.
*The surname 關 has also been widely adopted by various non-Chinese ethnic groups from both southern and northern China, such as the Zhuang, De'ang,
Mongol
The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member of ...
ian and Manchurian peoples.
*Around 1080 CE, the surname 關 arrives in the province of
Guangdong
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
at
Xinhui
Xinhui, alternately romanized as Sunwui and also known as Kuixiang, is an urban district of Jiangmen in Guangdong, China. It grew from a separate city founded at the confluence of the Tan and West Rivers. It has a population of about 735,500, ...
, five generations later at Kaiping (Hoiping) in Guangdong province.
*During the
Jin dynasty (1115–1234)
The Jin dynasty (,
; ) or Jin State (; Jurchen: Anchun Gurun), officially known as the Great Jin (), was an imperial dynasty of China that existed between 1115 and 1234. Its name is sometimes written as Kin, Jurchen Jin, Jinn, or Chin
in ...
, the surname 關 has also been founded by the Jurchen people of the Guaerjia.
*Near the end of the 19th century (1880s), population pressure on the limited arable land in Kaiping county, mainly along the Tan river, induces the rural poor 關 to emigrate overseas, largely (~70%) to North America and rest to Southeast Asia.
Shu Han
Han (; 221–263), known in historiography as Shu Han ( ) or Ji Han ( "Junior Han"), or often shortened to Shu (; pinyin: ''shŭ'' <
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and wa ...
era; aka Kuan Kung in Chinese folklore.
* Guan Ping (關平), Guan Yu's son, also a general of
Shu Han
Han (; 221–263), known in historiography as Shu Han ( ) or Ji Han ( "Junior Han"), or often shortened to Shu (; pinyin: ''shŭ'' <
Guan Xing
Guan Xing ( third century), courtesy name Anguo, was an official of the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period of China.
History
He was the second son of Guan Yu and a younger brother of Guan Ping.
Little information about Guan Xing is f ...
(關興), son of Guan Yu and younger brother of Guan Ping, also a general of Shu Han
*
Guan Bo Guan Bo (關播) (719 – February 4, 797), courtesy name Wuyuan (務元), was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong.
Background
Guan Bo was born in 719, during the reign of Emperor ...
(關播) official and chancellor of the Tang Dynasty
*
Guan Tong
Guan Tong () (c. 906-960) was a Chinese painter of the Northern Landscape style during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period and early Song dynasty from the city of Chang'an.''中国绘画全集'', Vol 2, p. 6. He was a pupil of Jing Hao, an ...
(關仝, c. 906–960), Chinese landscape painter during the
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period
The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (), from 907 to 979, was an era of political upheaval and division in 10th-century Imperial China. Five dynastic states quickly succeeded one another in the Central Plain, and more than a dozen conc ...
*
Guan Hanqing
Guan Hanqing ( 1241–1320), sobriquet "the Oldman of the Studio" (齋叟 Zhāisǒu), was a notable Chinese playwright and poet in the Yuan Dynasty. He has been described as among the most prolific and highly regarded dramatists of the Yuan pe ...
(關漢卿, c. 1241–1320), playwright and poet in the
Yuan dynasty
The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fifth ...
*
Guan Tianpei
Guan Tianpei (; 1781 – 26 February 1841) was a Chinese admiral of the Qing dynasty who served in the First Opium War. His Chinese title was "Commander-in-Chief of Naval Forces". In 1838, he established courteous relations with British Rear-Admi ...
(關天培, 1781–1841), Chinese admiral of the
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
, who served in the
First Opium War
The First Opium War (), also known as the Opium War or the Anglo-Sino War was a series of military engagements fought between Britain and the Qing dynasty of China between 1839 and 1842. The immediate issue was the Chinese enforcement of the ...
Modern people
* Guan Zilan (关紫兰, 1903–1986), Chinese avant-garde painter
*
Guan Linzheng
Guan Linzheng (; 1905–1980) was a highly successful Chinese general in the Kuomintang who fought against both the Communists and the Imperial Japanese Army, and was a recipient of Order of Blue Sky and White Sun, the highest honor for a Chinese ...
(關麟徵, 1905–1980), Kuomintang general
* Kwan Tak-hing (關德興, 1905–1996), Hong Kong actor famous for playing the role of Wong Fei-hung
*
Kwan Hoi-san
Herman Kwan Hoi-San () (born Kwan Ming-kok; October 23, 1925 – September 11, 2006) was a Hong Kong actor. His English name was Herman Kwan. Kwan started off as a Cantonese opera actor in street theatre before joining New Voice Opera Troupe ( ...
(關海山, 1925–2006), Hong Kong actor
* Yu-chien Kuan (关愚谦, 1931–2018), Chinese-born German sinologist, writer, and translator
* Nancy Kwan (關家蒨, b. 1939), Chinese-American actress known for her Hollywood films
* Michael Kwan (關正傑, b. 1949), Hong Kong Cantopop singer
* Jean Quan (關麗珍, b. 1949), American politician
* Stanley Kwan (關錦鵬, b. 1957), Hong Kong director and producer
*
Susanna Kwan
Susanna Kwan Kuk-ying (born May 3, 1958) is a Hong Kong singer and actress.
Background
She has recently been an actress for a number of TVB shows. Her nickname is "Big Doll" or "Small Sworn Mother" (as her performance in Wong Sau-kum of ''Heart ...
(關菊英, b. 1958), Hong Kong singer and actress
*
Betty Kwan Chinn
Betty Kwan Chinn (關惠群) is a philanthropist who lives in Eureka, California. She has helped the homeless—including the mentally ill, disabled veterans, runaways, and drug abusers—since the 1980s. She won the 2008 Minerva Award. She used ...
(關惠群), Chinese-American philanthropist, 2010 U.S. Presidential Citizens Medalist
* Kwan Chi Lam (關之琳, b. 1962), Hong Kong actress
*
Esther Kwan
Esther Kwan Wing-ho (), born 16 July 1964 is a Hong Kong retired actress formerly contracted to TVB and ATV.
Career
Kwan began her acting career after high school at ATV from 1988 to 1993. She moved over to TVB in 1993 and has been at the bro ...
(關詠荷, b. 1964), Hong Kong actress
*
Shirley Kwan
Shirley Kwan, Milo Kwan, Bik Luik Kwan, Kwan Suk'E, or Kwan Suk Yee (, born 15 August 1966) is an influential Cantopop singer from Hong Kong. Kwan first shot to fame in 1989 with the hit, " Happy Are Those in Love" () and was widely popular throu ...
(關淑怡, b. 1966), Hong Kong Cantopop singer
*
Jonathan Ke Quan
Ke Huy Quan (born August 20, 1971), also known as Jonathan Ke Quan (), is a Vietnam-born American actor and stunt choreographer.
Quan played Short Round in ''Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'' (1984) and Data in ''The Goonies'' (1985)''.'' ...
(關繼威, b. 1971), American actor and stunt coordinator
* Jade Kwan (關心妍, b. 1979), Hong Kong Cantopop singer
* Julia Kwan, Canadian screenwriter and director
* Michelle Kwan (關穎珊, b. 1980), American competitive figure skater, two-time Olympic medalist, five-time World Champion
*
Kelvin Kwan
Kelvin Kwan (born 24 March 1983) is a cantopop singer from Go East, a subdivision of Universal Music.
Family background
Born into a wealthy family, Kwan was raised in Canada. His father is Hong Kong record producer William Kwan, an executive f ...
(關楚耀, b. 1983), Hong Kong Cantopop singer
* Guan Xiaotong (关晓彤, b. 1997), Chinese actress
*
Guan Tianlang
Guan Tianlang (; born 25 October 1998) is a Chinese amateur golfer.
Career
Guan qualified for the 2013 Masters Tournament by winning the 2012 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Thailand. On 12 April 2013, he became the youngest player to make ...
(關天朗, b. 1998), Chinese golfer
*Lily Kwan (关莉莉), Canadian model and newscaster on Naked News
*
Kevin Kwan
Kevin Kwan (born ) is a Singapore-born American novelist and writer of satirical novels ''Crazy Rich Asians'', ''China Rich Girlfriend'', and '' Rich People Problems''. His latest book, '' Sex and Vanity'', was released in June 2020.
In 2014, ...
, Singaporean novelist
* Kwan Swee Lian, Malaysian chef and businessperson
*
Steven Kwan
Steven Kwan (born September 5, 1997) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022.
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Kwan played three year ...
, American professional baseball player
Japanese people with the surname Seki (関)
Historical figures
*
Seki Takakazu
, Selin, Helaine. (1997). ''Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures,'' p. 890 also known as ,Selin, was a Japanese mathematician and author of the Edo period.
Seki laid foundations for the subs ...
(関 孝和, 1642–1708), mathematician in the Edo period
Notable modern people
*
Tsutomu Seki
is a Japanese astronomer and discoverer of minor planets and comets, born in Kōchi, Japan.
Career
Tsutomu Seki is the Director of the Geisei Observatory in Kōchi, and in charge of the Comet Section of the Oriental Astronomical Association. ...
(関 勉, b. 1930), Japanese astronomer who discovered large numbers of comets and asteroids
*
Tomokazu Seki
is a Japanese voice actor and singer. He has previously worked with Haikyō. He is honorary president of and affiliated with Atomic Monkey and the chairman of theater company HeroHero Q. He is a special lecturer at Japan Newart College.
Caree ...