NameCensus.

UK surname

Phan

A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname Fan, meaning "sail" or "joyous."

In the 1881 census there were 3 people recorded with the Phan surname, ranking it #33,498 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 485, ranked #10,205, up from #33,498 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Worthing, Lambeth and Southwark.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Phan is 485 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16066.7%.

1881 census count

3

Ranked #33,498

Modern count

485

2016, ranked #10,205

Peak year

2016

485 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Phan had 3 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,498 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 485 in 2016, ranked #10,205.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 11 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Phan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Phan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Phan 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 7 #32,070
1861 historical 7 #33,053
1881 historical 3 #33,498
1891 historical 11 #33,268
1901 historical 1 #34,548
1911 historical 2 #34,020
1997 modern 234 #15,939
1998 modern 274 #14,759
1999 modern 274 #14,826
2000 modern 284 #14,457
2001 modern 283 #14,247
2002 modern 302 #13,938
2003 modern 319 #13,263
2004 modern 334 #12,897
2005 modern 351 #12,343
2006 modern 346 #12,539
2007 modern 354 #12,489
2008 modern 361 #12,407
2009 modern 373 #12,364
2010 modern 402 #11,949
2011 modern 412 #11,593
2012 modern 419 #11,295
2013 modern 447 #10,885
2014 modern 466 #10,608
2015 modern 465 #10,572
2016 modern 485 #10,205

Geography

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Where Phans 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 Worthing, Lambeth, Southwark, Bexley and Hackney. 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 Worthing 008 Worthing
2 Lambeth 017 Lambeth
3 Southwark 001 Southwark
4 Bexley 002 Bexley
5 Hackney 020 Hackney

Forenames

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First names often paired with Phan

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Phan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Phan, 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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Phan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Phan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Phan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Phan 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

Phan falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Phan 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Phan

The surname Phan originated in Vietnam, with records showing its presence as early as the 15th century. Its origins can be traced back to the Vietnamese word "phan," which means "to divide" or "to separate." This suggests that the name might have been associated with individuals involved in dividing or separating lands, or perhaps related to a specific location or territory.

One of the earliest references to the surname Phan can be found in the Annals of Dai Viet, a historical record of the Dai Viet kingdom (present-day Vietnam), which mentions several individuals bearing this name during the reign of the Le dynasty in the 15th and 16th centuries.

In the 17th century, the Phan surname appeared in various village records and local administrative documents, indicating its widespread use among the Vietnamese population. Some notable individuals from this period include Phan Huy Ich (1750-1822), a prominent Confucian scholar and philosopher, and Phan Boi Chau (1867-1940), a renowned Vietnamese nationalist and revolutionary leader who fought against French colonial rule.

As the Vietnamese diaspora spread across the globe, the Phan surname traveled with them. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many Vietnamese immigrants settled in various parts of the world, including France, the United States, and other countries. One notable figure from this period is Phan Chu Trinh (1872-1926), a Vietnamese nationalist and advocate for independence who spent time in exile in France.

Moving into the 20th century, the Phan surname continued to be carried by notable individuals, such as Phan Thiet (1891-1966), a Vietnamese journalist and activist who played a significant role in the country's nationalist movement, and Phan Rang Thao Cam Van (1924-2016), a renowned Vietnamese writer and poet.

Throughout its history, the surname Phan has been associated with various places and locations in Vietnam, including Phan Rang, a city in Ninh Thuan Province, and Phan Thiet, a coastal city in Binh Thuan Province. These place names may have influenced the evolution and spread of the surname over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Phan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Phan 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. Surrey leads with 1 Phans recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.03x.

County Total Index
Surrey 1 7.03x
Warwickshire 1 13.57x
Yorkshire 1 3.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 1 Phans recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.26x.

Place Total Index
Aston 1 49.26x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 169.49x
Lingfield 1 3333.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Catherine 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Ernest 1
William 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 Phan households.

FAQ

Phan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Phan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3 people were recorded with the Phan surname. That placed it at #33,498 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Phan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 485 in 2016. That gives Phan a modern rank of #10,205.

What does the Phan surname mean?

A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname Fan, meaning "sail" or "joyous."

What does the Phan map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Phan 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.