NameCensus.

UK surname

Fan

A Chinese surname meaning "sail," "fence," or "Buddhist and Taoist ritual," depending on the character used.

In the 1881 census there were 34 people recorded with the Fan surname, ranking it #28,837 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 700, ranked #7,703, up from #28,837 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds, South Hams and Cannock Chase.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fan is 700 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1958.8%.

1881 census count

34

Ranked #28,837

Modern count

700

2016, ranked #7,703

Peak year

2016

700 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fan had 34 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,837 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 700 in 2016, ranked #7,703.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 63 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Fan surname distribution map

The map shows where the Fan surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Fan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Fan over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 63 #22,069
1881 historical 34 #28,837
1901 historical 17 #32,146
1997 modern 344 #12,319
1998 modern 364 #12,201
1999 modern 367 #12,202
2000 modern 374 #11,976
2001 modern 367 #11,968
2002 modern 406 #11,315
2003 modern 448 #10,325
2004 modern 479 #9,811
2005 modern 492 #9,553
2006 modern 507 #9,386
2007 modern 535 #9,087
2008 modern 555 #8,904
2009 modern 582 #8,784
2010 modern 634 #8,412
2011 modern 606 #8,623
2012 modern 669 #7,886
2013 modern 677 #7,949
2014 modern 683 #7,933
2015 modern 679 #7,904
2016 modern 700 #7,703

Geography

Back to top

Where Fans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds, South Hams, Cannock Chase and Stockport. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 108 Leeds
2 South Hams 005 South Hams
3 Cannock Chase 011 Cannock Chase
4 Cannock Chase 010 Cannock Chase
5 Stockport 013 Stockport

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Fan

These lists show first names that appear often with the Fan surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Fan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Fan, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Fan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Fan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Fan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fan is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fan falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Fan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Asian - Chinese

This describes the area pattern most associated with Fan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Fan

The surname Fan originated in China, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is derived from the Chinese character "樊," which was originally a place name referring to a town located in present-day Henan Province. The name has various meanings, including "bamboo" and "fence," and was likely adopted by people living in or near this town.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Fan surname can be found in the ancient Chinese text "Shiji" (Records of the Grand Historian), written by the historian Sima Qian in the 1st century BC. This work mentions several individuals with the Fan surname, including Fan Kuai, a prominent military leader during the Warring States period (475-221 BC).

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the Fan surname gained prominence with the rise of Fan Zhongyan, a renowned scholar, writer, and statesman. He was born in 989 AD and is remembered for his contributions to neo-Confucian philosophy and his efforts to reform the imperial examination system.

Another notable figure with the Fan surname was Fan Kuan, a celebrated landscape painter who lived during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127 AD). His masterpiece, "Travelers Among Mountains and Streams," is considered a pinnacle of Chinese landscape art and is housed in the National Palace Museum in Taipei.

In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the Fan surname continued to be prominent, with individuals such as Fan Qin, a respected scholar and official who served as a Grand Secretary during the reign of the Yongle Emperor (1403-1424 AD).

Moving forward to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), Fan Zhongyi, a renowned philosopher and author, made significant contributions to the field of neo-Confucianism. He was born in 1611 and is best known for his work "Honan Jingxue," which aimed to revive and promote Confucian teachings.

Throughout history, the Fan surname has been associated with various areas in China, particularly the provinces of Henan, Shandong, and Hebei. While the name has maintained its Chinese origins, it has also been adopted by individuals of other ethnicities and cultures around the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Fan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fan surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 17 Fans recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.47x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 17 4.47x
Cheshire 6 7.15x
Lanarkshire 6 4.88x
Gloucestershire 3 4.02x
Somerset 2 3.27x
Devon 1 1.26x
Lincolnshire 1 1.64x
Norfolk 1 1.71x
Surrey 1 0.54x
Yorkshire 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 8 Fans recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.13x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 8 26.13x
Monks Coppenhall 6 189.27x
New Monkland 6 164.84x
Bitton 3 461.54x
Bethnal Green London 2 12.11x
Hampton Wick London 2 714.29x
Taunton St Mary 2 178.57x
Bromley London 1 11.95x
Fincham 1 1000.00x
Hough On Hill 1 2000.00x
Kensington London 1 4.73x
Newton Abbot St Mary 1 151.52x
Selby 1 126.58x
St Botolph Aldersgate 1 227.27x
St George Hanover Square 1 14.93x
St Martin In Fields 1 43.86x
Worplesdon 1 454.55x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Fan surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Ann 3
Annie 2
Elizabeth 2
Emily 2
Harriet 2
Ada 1
Charlotte 1
Emma 1
Jane 1
Mary 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Fan surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Alfred 2
James 2
Thomas 2
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Edward 1
Frederick 1
George 1
Harry 1
Isaac 1
Jno.Chas. 1
John 1
Stephen 1
Walter 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Fan households.

FAQ

Fan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 34 people were recorded with the Fan surname. That placed it at #28,837 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 700 in 2016. That gives Fan a modern rank of #7,703.

What does the Fan surname mean?

A Chinese surname meaning "sail," "fence," or "Buddhist and Taoist ritual," depending on the character used.

What does the Fan map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Fan bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.