NameCensus.

UK surname

Yan

A Chinese surname meaning "swallow," as in the bird, or "flame," depending on the character used.

In the 1881 census there were 4 people recorded with the Yan surname, ranking it #33,288 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 520, ranked #9,720, up from #33,288 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tameside, Wirral and Colchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Yan is 520 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12900.0%.

1881 census count

4

Ranked #33,288

Modern count

520

2016, ranked #9,720

Peak year

2016

520 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Yan had 4 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,288 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 520 in 2016, ranked #9,720.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Student Living and Professional Footholds.

Yan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Yan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Yan 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 2 #33,133
1881 historical 4 #33,288
1891 historical 3 #34,257
1901 historical 7 #33,435
1997 modern 122 #23,917
1998 modern 117 #25,190
1999 modern 124 #24,508
2000 modern 146 #22,170
2001 modern 144 #22,040
2002 modern 170 #20,243
2003 modern 201 #18,089
2004 modern 215 #17,384
2005 modern 258 #15,323
2006 modern 262 #15,255
2007 modern 295 #14,198
2008 modern 305 #13,979
2009 modern 326 #13,630
2010 modern 399 #12,018
2011 modern 381 #12,300
2012 modern 427 #11,120
2013 modern 461 #10,634
2014 modern 484 #10,338
2015 modern 489 #10,168
2016 modern 520 #9,720

Geography

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Where Yans 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 Tameside, Wirral, Colchester, Liverpool and Barnet. 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 Tameside 020 Tameside
2 Wirral 006 Wirral
3 Colchester 015 Colchester
4 Liverpool 037 Liverpool
5 Barnet 030 Barnet

Forenames

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First names often paired with Yan

These lists show first names that appear often with the Yan 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 Yan

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Student Living and Professional Footholds

Nationally, the Yan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Student Living and Professional Footholds, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Yan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

The Group includes many students, some of whom reside in communal residences. Single-person households are the most prevalent and the modal age band is 25 to 44. There are few families with dependent children. A significant number of White residents were born in EU countries (although UK-born residents are more common than in the rest of the Group), and households reflect a diversity of ethnic groups. Residential turnover is exceptionally high and, communal properties aside, flats are the norm. Some properties, including those in the private rental sector, are over-crowded. Many residents are professionals and technicians educated to degree level, and the Group is particularly common near the campuses of established university towns and cities.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Yan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Yan 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

Yan falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Yan 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 Yan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Yan

The surname Yan has its origins in China, dating back to the 6th century AD. It is believed to have derived from the Old Chinese words "yan" and "yen," meaning "flame" or "fire." The name was initially associated with people who lived near or worked with fire, such as blacksmiths or potters.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Yan surname can be found in the historical text "Book of Sui," which documented the Sui Dynasty from 581 to 618 AD. The book mentions a nobleman named Yan Zhitui, who lived from 535 to 609 AD and served as a high-ranking official during the reign of Emperor Yang.

During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the Yan surname gained prominence, with several notable figures bearing the name. One such person was Yan Zhenqing, a renowned calligrapher who lived from 709 to 785 AD and is renowned for his contributions to the development of the cursive script known as "xingshu."

In the 11th century, the Yan surname was also associated with the Yan Kingdom, a short-lived state located in present-day Beijing and Hebei provinces. The kingdom was founded by Yan Benedick, a military leader who ruled from 1038 to 1048 AD.

Over the centuries, the Yan surname has spread across various regions of China, with variations in spelling and pronunciation. For instance, in the southern provinces of Guangdong and Fujian, the name is often written as "Yim" or "Yam."

Notable individuals with the Yan surname include Yan Fu (1854-1921), a prominent scholar and translator who introduced Western ideas and philosophies to China. Another significant figure was Yan Xishan (1883-1960), a warlord and military leader who ruled over Shanxi province during the early 20th century.

Other notable Yans throughout history include Yan Liben (600-673 AD), a renowned painter and calligrapher during the Tang Dynasty; Yan Song (1480-1567 AD), a renowned scholar and poet of the Ming Dynasty; and Yan Zhenqing (709-785 AD), a celebrated calligrapher and artist of the Tang Dynasty.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Yan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Yan 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 3 Yans recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.13x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 3 5.13x
Renfrewshire 2 44.15x
Surrey 1 3.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire leads with 2 Yans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2857.14x.

Place Total Index
Lochwinnoch 2 2857.14x
St Martin In Fields 2 571.43x
Camberwell 1 26.81x
St Marylebone London 1 32.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Charlotte 1
Julia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Fernand 1
Woo 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 Yan households.

FAQ

Yan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Yan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4 people were recorded with the Yan surname. That placed it at #33,288 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Yan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 520 in 2016. That gives Yan a modern rank of #9,720.

What does the Yan surname mean?

A Chinese surname meaning "swallow," as in the bird, or "flame," depending on the character used.

What does the Yan map show?

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