A surname meaning 'strict', from the ancient state of Yan.
What the character means
Disciplined and dignified
Why it scores this way
Easy to say96
Reads the way it looks for an English speaker — no sounds English doesn't have.
Recognised in China43
Outside the top 100 — distinctive, but some people will ask you to repeat or write it.
Easy to write85
7 strokes — one of the simpler surnames to write and sign.
People who carried this name
Yan Fu — Translator and thinker (1854–1921), introduced Western classics to China.
Yan Ziling — A renowned hermit of the Eastern Han Dynasty, famous for refusing Emperor Guangwu's offer of an official post and fishing in the Fuchun River.
Yan Geling — A contemporary Chinese-American author, celebrated for works such as 'The Flowers of War' and 'Fanghua', exploring history and human nature.