Pan (surname)

Pan (潘)
Pronunciation	Pān (Mandarin) Poon (Cantonese - Hong Kong) Pun (Cantonese - Macau) Phua (Hokkien) Phan (Vietnamese) Ban (Korean)
Language(s)	Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese
Origin
Language(s)	Old Chinese
Other names
Variant(s)	P'an, Poon, Pon, Pun, Phua
Derivative(s)	Phan, Ban

Pān is the Mandarin pinyin romanization of the East Asian surname 潘. It is listed 43rd in the Song dynasty classic text Hundred Family Surnames. It is romanized as P'an in Wade–Giles; Poon, Pon, or Pun in Cantonese; Phua in Hokkien and Teochew.

潘 is also a common surname in Vietnam and Korea. It is romanized Phan in Vietnamese and Ban or Pan in Korean.

Distribution

Pan 潘 is the 37th most common surname in mainland China and the 31st most common surname on Taiwan.

None of the romanizations of Pan 潘 appeared among the 1000 most common surnames during the 2000 US census.^[1]

Origins

As with many Chinese surnames, the origins of the Pan are various and sometimes legendary.

One origin was a clan name taken from a fief north of Shaanxi granted to Ji Sun, a descendant of King Wen of Zhou.^[2] Some members descend from Ji Sun himself, others from his vassals.

Another source was a cadet branch of the ruling House of Mi (芈) of the State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period. Among these Pans, Pan Chong served as regent and advisor for the state of Chu. When King Cheng of Chu decided to make a younger son the crown prince, Pan Chong aided the elder prince Shangchen instead. Shangchen forced King Cheng to commit suicide and ascended the throne as King Mu of Chu. Pan Chong was made the "Royal Tutor".

A third source on Taiwan was the adoption of the name by Taiwanese aborigines during their Sinicization. Members of the Plains tribes adopted the surname Pan as a modification of their designated status as barbarians (番, Fan).^[3] One family in particular became members of the local gentry, complete with a lineage to Fujian province.^[4][5]

List of persons with the surname

Pan Pan Qingfu, kung fu grandmaster Rebecca Pan (Poon Dik-wah, Tik-Wa Poon), Chinese-Hong Kong actress and singer Wilber Pan, American-born Taiwanese rapper and actor Pan Jinlian, fictional character from Water Margin and The Plum in the Golden Vase Phua Phua Chu Kang, fictional protagonist of a famous Singaporean comedy Poon Annie Poon, American animator Anthony Poon, Singaporean abstract artist Christine Poon, American business executive Chung-Kwong Poon (潘宗光), president of Hong Kong Polytechnic University Dickson Poon, owner of the Harvey Nichols chain of department stores Poon Dik-wah, the Cantonese name of Rebecca Pan Joseph Poon, physicist Poon Lim, Chinese sailor who survived 133 days alone in the South Atlantic Kelly Poon, Singaporean Mandarin pop singer Kevin Poon, a Hong Kong-based entrepreneur, fashion designer, event organizer, and blogger Richard Poon, Chinese-Filipino singer-songwriter Wena Poon, a Singaporean-American novelist William Poon, founder of London's Poons restaurant chain

Pun Tul Bahadur Pun, recipient of the Victoria Cross Dipprasad Pun, CGC is a Nepalese corporal of the Royal Gurkha Rifles who was decorated with the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for an act of bravery during the War in Afghanistan on the night of 17 September 2010. Mahabir Pun, a teacher known for introducing wireless Internet technology in remote parts of Nepal Ban Ban Ki-moon, South Korean diplomat, current UN Secretary General Han Keiko Han, Japanese voice actress Megumi Han, Japanese voice actress Han Zenki, professional Go player

Phan

• Aimee Phan, writer/novelist
• Dat Phan, comedian, "Last Comic Standing" winner
• John Phan, professional poker player
• Michelle Phan, makeup artist
• Nam Phan, professional mixed martial artist
• Nicholas Phan, tenor
• Phan Thanh Giản (潘清簡), Imperial mandarin, diplomat
• Phan Đình Phùng (潘廷逢), 19th century revolutionary, anti-colonial military leader
• Phan Bội Châu (潘佩珠), 20th century scholar, revolutionary, anti-colonial activist
• Phan Chu Trinh (潘周楨), 20th century nationalist, writer, anti-colonial activist
• Phan Khắc Sửu, President of South Vietnam
• Phan Huy Quát, Prime Minister of South Vietnam
• Phan Văn Khải, Prime Minister of Vietnam (communist)
• Phan Thị Kim Phúc, child subject of a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph taken during the Vietnam War
• Phan Bá Vành (潘伯鑅), charismatic leader, 19th century revolutionary
• Phan Khôi, author, intellectual leader
• Phan Nhiên Hạo, poet and translator
• Phan Nguyên Hồng, leading authority on the mangrove ecosystem in Asia
• Phan Xích Long (潘赤龍), mystic and geomancer
• Phan Quang Đán, politician

References

1. United States Census Bureau. "Genealogy Data: Frequently Occurring Surnames from Census 2000". 27 Sept 2011. Accessed 29 Mar 2012.
2. "Yutopian, origin of the surname Pan, Poon". www.yutopian.com. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
3. Shepherd, John R. Statecraft and Political Economy on the Taiwan Frontier, 1600–1800, p. 384. Stanford Uni. Press (Stanford), 1993.
4. Pan Ying. Taiwan Pingpu Zu Shi [History of Taiwan's Pingpu Tribes], pp. 440–62. SMC Publishing (Taipei), 1996. ISBN 957-638-358-7. (Chinese)
5. Hong Meiyuan. Taiwan Zhongbu Pingpu Zhu [Plains Tribes of Central Taiwan], pp. 310–15. Academia Historica (Taipei), 1997. (Chinese)