Qian (; Shanghainese: ), 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 as ...

". 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 dy ...

'', 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 infrared radi ...

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

, 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, ...

, 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 and ...

. 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, incl ...

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 conc ...

(907-960),

Qian Liu Qian Liu (10 March 852Academia Sinica Chinese-Western Calendar Converter

and his descendants ruled the independent kingdom of Wuyue 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 , ; , Chinese postal romanization, also romanized as Chekiang) is an East China, eastern, coastal Provinces of China, province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable citie ...

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 cap ...

. 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 al ...

. The Qian family was thereafter prominent at the Song court, with Qian Chu's son, Qian Weiyan, serving as a prominent Chancellor. 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 of Ming * Qian Qi (錢起) (710–782), Tang dynasty poet * The royal family of Wuyue, especially: ** Qian Chu (錢俶) (929–988), last king **

Qian Liu Qian Liu (10 March 852Academia Sinica Chinese-Western Calendar Converter

(錢鏐) (852–932), founder * Qian Qianyi (钱谦益) (1582–1664), Ming dynasty official and author * (1791–1863), Qing dynasty bibliophile, official *

Qian Weiyan Qian Weiyan(, 977 – September 3, 1034) was a Chinese politician and poet. He was the 14th son of the last king of Wuyue Qian Hongchu and the great grandson of Qian Liu. He was best known for his literary style "Xikun style" which features the us ...

(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 Ch'ien Mu or Qian Mu (; 30 July 1895 – 30 August 1990) was a Chinese historian, philosopher and writer. He is considered to be one of the greatest historians and philosophers of 20th-century China. Ch'ien, together with Lü Simian, Chen Yink ...

(錢穆) (1895–1990), historian * Qian Baojun (钱宝钧) (1907–1996), polymer chemist and educator, co-founder of

Donghua University Donghua University (DHU, ) is a public research university in Shanghai, China. "Donghua" literally means East China. Established in 1951, it is directly administered by the Ministry of Education of China as part of the Double First Class Univ ...

* Chin Kar-lok (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 ass ...

(錢復) (born 1935), Republic of China politician, diplomat * Qian Changzhao (1899–1988), industrialist and politician * Qian Liren (錢李仁) (born 1924), People's Republic of China politician, diplomat * Qian Nairong (born 1945), linguist * Qian Nancy (钱楠筠) (born 1978), economist, Northwestern University Professor * Qian Qichen (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 Chien Shih-Liang aka S. L. Chien (; 1908–1983), was a Chinese chemist who served as the President of the Academia Sinica. A graduate of Tsinghua University and the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, he also served as President of Nati ...

(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 Qian Xiuling (1912–2008), or Siou-Ling Tsien de Perlinghi, was a Chinese-Belgian scientist who won a medal for saving nearly 100 lives during World War II in Belgium. She had a street named after her and a 16-episode TV drama was made of her ...

(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 (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 Qian Zhengying (; 4 July 1923 – 22 October 2022) was a Chinese hydrologist and politician. Biography She was born in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province. Her father trained as an engineer in the United States before returning to China; some sources re ...

(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 civ ...

Qian Zhongshu Qian Zhongshu (November 21, 1910 – December 19, 1998), also transliterated as Ch'ien Chung-shu or Dzien Tsoong-su, was a renowned 20th century Chinese literary scholar and writer, known for his wit and erudition. He is best known for his sati ...

(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 (錢永健) (1952-2016), biologist, 2008 Nobel Prize winner *

Shu Chien Shu Chien (; born June 23, 1931 in Beijing, China), is a Chinese–American physiologist and bioengineer. His work on the fluid dynamics of blood flow has had a major impact on the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as athe ...

(錢煦) (born 1931), biological scientist and engineer * Tsien Tsuen-hsuin (錢存訓) (1909−2015), sinologist, University of Chicago professor *

Qian Min Qian Min (; August 9, 1915 – January 6, 2016) was a Chinese politician. He was born in Wuxi, Jiangsu. He was the Chinese Communist Party Committee Secretary A Party Committee Secretary () is the leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ...

(钱敏) (1927–2019), mathematical physicist, winner of the 11th Hua Luogeng Prize in Mathematics *

Joe Z. Tsien Joe Z. Tsien is a neuroscientist who pioneered Cre/lox-neurogenetics in the mid-1990s, a versatile toolbox for neuroscientists to study the complex relationships between genes, neural circuits, and behaviors. He is also known as the creator of the s ...

(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
/ref>

References