Han
韩 · traditionally 韓 — Hán
The 27th most common surname in China
Around 8 million people in 2003, when it ranked 25th nationwide (English Wikipedia, citing 2003 figures).
Where the name comes from
The main line is Ji (姬)-surnamed: a descendant of King Wu of Zhou was granted land at Hanyuan, and his descendants created the State of Han. Qin conquered Han in 230 BC and its people took the state's name, settling at Yingchuan, which became the clan's first commandery seat. Two further streams are not Chinese in origin at all — the Xianbei clan name Dahan (大汗) was reshaped into Han under the Northern Wei reforms, and around 1370 four upper clans of the Salar Muslims took Han by Ming appointment.
The same name, spelled differently
A Chinese surname is a character, not a spelling. The Latin letters on a passport come from whichever dialect the name was written down from — so these are all 韩.
- HanMandarin — mainland China, Taiwan
- HonCantonese and Hakka — Hong Kong
- HangTeochew; also behind Chinese Indonesian names such as Handoko and Hanjaya
The character
Outside a name, 韩 is an ordinary word meaning Korea, especially South Korea.
- Strokes
- 12
- Radical
- 韦
- Traditional
- 韓
- As a word
- hán