A surname from the ancient state of Tan, common in Hunan and Guangdong.
What the character means
Profound conversation and broad wisdom
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 China67
Common enough that most Chinese speakers recognise it (roughly the top 100).
Easy to write50
14 strokes — more than most; it will take real practice to write smoothly.
People who carried this name
Tan Sitong — Reformer and martyr (1865–1898), one of the Six Gentlemen of the Hundred Days' Reform.
Tan Xinpei — Master of Peking opera, renowned for old male roles, founder of the Tan school, pivotal in late Qing theatrical art.
Tan Qixiang — Eminent historical geographer, academician, chief editor of the Historical Atlas of China, founder of modern Chinese historical geography.