Qian (;

Shanghainese The Shanghainese language, also known as the Shanghai dialect, or Hu language, is a variety of Wu Chinese spoken in the central districts of the City of Shanghai and its surrounding areas. It is classified as part of the Sino-Tibetan lang ...

: ), also spelt Chin, Chien, Tsien, or Zee in

Wu Chinese The Wu languages (; Wu romanization and IPA: ''wu6 gniu6'' [] (Shanghainese), ''ng2 gniu6'' [] (Suzhounese), Mandarin pinyin and IPA: ''Wúyǔ'' []) is a major group of Sinitic languages spoken primarily in Shanghai, Zhejiang, Zhejiang Provin ...

, is a common

Chinese family name 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 ...

. The name literally means "

money Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are ...

". Qian is listed at the second place in the

Song Dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

text ''

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

'', in the line 趙錢孫李 ( Zhao, Qian,

Sun The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrare ...

, Li). As the royal surname of the kingdom of

Wuyue Wuyue (; ), 907–978, was an independent coastal kingdom founded during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907–960) of Chinese history. It was ruled by the Haiyan Qian clan (海盐钱氏), whose family name remains widespread in ...

, Qian was regarded as second only to Zhao, the imperial surname of the Song. As of 2008, Qian is the 96th most common surname in China, shared by 2.2 million people, with the province with the most people sharing the name being

Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its ...

, an area formerly within the Wuyue kingdom.

Origins

According to the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

book, '' Tongzhi'', the Qian surname is descended from

Zhuanxu Zhuanxu (Chinese: trad. , simp. , pinyin ''Zhuānxū''), also known as Gaoyang ( t , s , p ''Gāoyáng''), was a mythological emperor of ancient China. In the traditional account recorded by Sima Qian, Zhua ...

, one of the legendary Five Emperors, via Pengzu, the founder of the Peng kingdom in modern-day

during the

Shang dynasty The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang) that ruled in the Yellow River valley in the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty an ...

. A

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 ...

official, Fu, was a descendant of Pengzu and served in the royal Treasury, the ''Qianfu'' ("Money Office"). His descendants adopted the surname "Qian", literally "money", from his title. Being descendants of the Peng kingdom, the Qian family originally congregated around Xiapi, in modern-day

. The surname spread from there, now has its highest concentration of it in the

Jiangnan Jiangnan or Jiang Nan (; formerly romanized Kiang-nan, literally "South of the River" meaning "South of the Yangtze") is a geographic area in China referring to lands immediately to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, in ...

region. 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 concu ...

(907-960), Qian Liu and his descendants ruled the independent kingdom of

in south-eastern China. Qian Liu had many sons, who were posted to different parts of his kingdom, greatly increasing the density of the Qian surname within the former territory of Wuyue. This area comprises today's

Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Ji ...

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...

, southern

and northern

Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its ca ...

. After Wuyue submitted to the

in 978, the last king moved to Bianjing, the Song capital in modern-day

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is als ...

. The Qian family was thereafter prominent at the Song court, with Qian Chu's son, Qian Weiyan, serving as a prominent

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law co ...

. During this period, the Qian family also spread to northern China.

Notable people

Pre-modern

* (1686–1774), Qing dynasty minister * Empress Qian (?–1468), wife of the

Zhengtong Emperor Emperor Yingzong of Ming (; 29 November 1427 – 23 February 1464), personal name Zhu Qizhen (), was the sixth and eighth Emperor of the Ming dynasty. He ascended the throne as the Zhengtong Emperor () in 1435, but was forced to abdicate in ...

of Ming * Qian Qi (錢起) (710–782), Tang dynasty poet * The royal family of

, especially: **

Qian Chu Qian Chu (September 29, 929 – October 7, 988, courtesy name Wende), known as Qian Hongchu before 960, was the last king of Wuyue, reigning from 947 until 978 when he surrendered his kingdom to the Song dynasty. Life Qian Chu came to power a ...

(錢俶) (929–988), last king ** Qian Liu (錢鏐) (852–932), founder *

Qian Qianyi Qian Qianyi (; Suzhou dialect: ; 1582–1664) was a Chinese historian, poet, and politician during the late Ming dynasty.Cihai: Page 1704. Qian was a famous author and poet; and along with Gong Dingzi and Wu Weiye was known as one of the Thre ...

(钱谦益) (1582–1664), Ming dynasty official and author * (1791–1863), Qing dynasty bibliophile, official * Qian Weiyan (钱惟演) (962–1034), Song Chancellor, Duke * (1783–1850), Qing dynasty official, geographer * (1824–1902), Qing dynasty official, Grand Councillor

Modern

* Ch'ien Mu (錢穆) (1895–1990), historian * Qian Baojun (钱宝钧) (1907–1996), polymer chemist and educator, co-founder of Donghua University *

Chin Kar-lok Chin Ka-lok, sometimes credited as Chin Kar-lok ( Chinese: 錢嘉樂, Pinyin: Qián Jiālè, born 6 August 1965), is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, and television presenter. Chin was born in Hong Kong, the younger brother of actor ...

(錢嘉樂) (born 1965), actor and action choreographer *

Fredrick Chien Fredrick F. Chien, or Fred Chien, Chien Foo (; born 21 March 1935), is a retired Taiwanese diplomat and politician who served as the President of the Republic of China Control Yuan from 1999 to 2005. After graduating from Yale University, he a ...

(錢復) (born 1935), Republic of China politician, diplomat * Qian Changzhao (1899–1988), industrialist and politician *

Qian Liren Qian may refer to: *Guizhou, abbreviated as ''Qián'' (黔), province of China * Mace (unit), or Qian, one of the Chinese units of measurement, equal to 5g *Qian (hexagram), the first hexagram of the ''I Ching'' *Qian (surname), a Chinese surname ...

(錢李仁) (born 1924), People's Republic of China politician, diplomat *

Qian Nairong Qian Nairong (Shanghainese: ; born 1945 in Shanghai) is a Chinese linguist. He received a master's degree in Chinese from Fudan University in 1981. He is a professor and the head of the Chinese Department at Shanghai University. He is a researc ...

(born 1945), linguist * Qian Nancy (钱楠筠) (born 1978), economist, Northwestern University Professor *

Qian Qichen Qian Qichen (; 5 January 1928 – 9 May 2017) was a Chinese diplomat and politician. He served as Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Politburo member from 1992 to 2002, China's Foreign Minister from April 1988 to March 1998, and as Vice Premier f ...

(钱其琛) (1928–2017), Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China *

Qian Sanqiang Qian Sanqiang (; October 16, 1913 – June 28, 1992), also known as Tsien San-Tsiang, was a Chinese nuclear physicist and among the leading scientists of the Two Bombs, One Satellite program. Due to his central role in the development of China' ...

(钱三强) (1913–1992), nuclear physicist * Chien Shih-Liang (錢思亮) (1908–1983), chemist and educator * Qian Weichang (錢偉長) (1913–2010), physicist and mathematician * (born 1966), Tibetologist and Indologist, Fudan University professor * Qian Xiuling (錢秀玲; 1912–2008), Chinese emigrant to Belgium who helped save hundreds of Belgians from execution by the Nazi *

Qian Xuantong Qian Xuantong (1887—January 17, 1939) was a Chinese linguist and writer. He was a professor of literature at National Peking University, and along with Gu Jiegang, one of the leaders of the Doubting Antiquity School. Biography Born in Huzhou, ...

(錢玄同) (1887–1939), linguist *

Qian Xuesen Qian Xuesen, or Hsue-Shen Tsien (; 11 December 1911 – 31 October 2009), was a Chinese mathematician, cyberneticist, aerospace engineer, and physicist who made significant contributions to the field of aerodynamics and established engineerin ...

(Tsien Hsue-shen) (錢學森) (1911–2009), rocket scientist and physicist * (1903–1973), People's Republic of China politician * Qian Ying (錢英) Chinese politician * Qian Qihu (钱七虎) (born 1937), military engineer * Qian Yunlu (钱运录) (born 1944), People's Republic of China politician * Qian Zhengying (钱正英) (1923–2022), hydrologist, People's Republic of China politician * (1900–1994), Minister of Light Industry and Minister of Textile Industry * Qian Zhijun (钱志君) (born 1987), actor and subject of the "Little Fatty" internet meme * (born 1960), former President of

China National Nuclear Corporation The China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC; ) is a state-owned enterprise founded in 1955 in Beijing. CNNC's president and vice-president are appointed by the Premier of the People's Republic of China. CNNC oversees all aspects of China's ci ...

* Qian Zhongshu (錢鍾書) (1910–1998), scholar and writer * Qian Zhuangfei (1895–1935), Chinese intelligence agent * Robert Tienwen Chien (錢天問) (1931-1983), American Computer Scientist, University of Illinois Professor, Director of Coordinated Science Laboratory *

Ronny Chieng Ronny Xin Yi Chieng (; born 21 November 1985) is a Malaysian comedian and actor. He is currently a senior correspondent on Comedy Central's ''The Daily Show'' and the creator and star of the ABC Australia sitcom '' Ronny Chieng: International S ...

(錢信伊), Malaysian Chinese standup comedian and actor *

Roger Y. Tsien Roger Yonchien Tsien (pronounced , "'' CHEN''"'';'' February 1, 1952 – August 24, 2016) was an American biochemist. He was a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California, San Diego and was awarded the Nobel Prize in ...

(錢永健) (1952-2016), biologist, 2008 Nobel Prize winner * Shu Chien (錢煦) (born 1931), biological scientist and engineer * Tsien Tsuen-hsuin (錢存訓) (1909−2015), sinologist, University of Chicago professor * Qian Min (钱敏) (1927–2019), mathematical physicist, winner of the 11th Hua Luogeng Prize in Mathematics * Joe Z. Tsien (钱卓) (born 1962), Neuroscientist and geneticist, the pioneer of Cre/lox neurogenetics and the creator of smart mouse Doogie. He is also known for his Theory of Connectivity regarding the basic logic of brain computation and the origin of intelligence. * Chang-Kan Chien (1904-1940) Engineer, builder of Hangzhou bridge, bridges on the Burma Road during WWII. Was killed by Japanese fighter planes during the war. * Qian Kun (钱锟) (born 1996) Singer, member of South Korean group NCT and its Chinese sub-unit WayV (威神V)

Meanings of ''Qian'' (钱/錢)

* A type of farm tool, especially an iron

spade A spade is a tool primarily for digging consisting of a long handle and blade, typically with the blade narrower and flatter than the common shovel. Early spades were made of riven wood or of animal bones (often shoulder blades). After the a ...

. *

Ancient Chinese coinage Ancient Chinese coinage includes some of the earliest known coins. These coins, used as early as the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BCE), took the form of imitations of the cowrie shells that were used in ceremonial exchanges. The s ...

, especially copper coins. * Cost, expense, fee, etc., derived from its meaning related to Chinese coinage. * Meaning of property, derived from its meaning related to Chinese coinage. * Small round objects similar to a coin, derived from its meaning related to Chinese coinage. * Mace, a traditional mass unit of

Chinese units of measurement Chinese units of measurement, known in Chinese as the ''shìzhì'' ("market system"), are the traditional units of measurement of the Han Chinese. Although Chinese numerals have been decimal (base-10) since the Shang, several Chinese measures us ...

, equaling to one tenth of one

tael Tael (),"Tael" entry
at the ...

. * A surname.汉典：钱的解释
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References