Orient Name
› Surnames › 燕
燕 Yan — a rarer surname
60.2 / 100 overall fit
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| Pinyin | Yan |
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| Strokes | 16 |
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| Commonness | outside the top 100 |
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| Type | single-character |
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Where the surname comes from
A surname meaning 'swallow', from the ancient state of Yan.
What the character means
The swallow brings spring and happiness.
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 China37
Outside the top 100 — distinctive, but some people will ask you to repeat or write it.
Easy to write40
16 strokes — more than most; it will take real practice to write smoothly.
People who carried this name
- Yan Qing — Legendary martial artist from Water Margin, skilled wrestler.
- Yan Su — Northern Song scholar-official, scientist and painter, invented the south-pointing carriage and odometer, known for his diverse talents.
- Yan Wengui — Northern Song landscape painter, founder of the 'Yan Family Style', known for meticulous and grand mountain scenes.
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Other surnames with the same feel
中文版