The 颜 surname

Yan (颜) is one of the surnames of Taishan. Yan ranks 143rd in the Hundred Family Surnames (《百家姓》). It comes mainly from the ruling clans of the ancient states of Zhu (邾) and Lu (鲁), and its ancestral commandery is Lu Commandery (鲁郡).^[1]

Origin of the surname[edit]

The Yan surname has two main sources. One account says it comes from the Cao (曹) surname: early in the Zhou, Cao Xie (曹挟) was enfeoffed with Zhu (around present-day Zoucheng (邹城), Shandong); his descendant Yifu (夷父) had the courtesy name Yan and was called Yan Gong (颜公), and his descendants took their grandfather's courtesy name as their surname. Another account says it comes from the Ji (姬) surname: descendants of a cadet line of Boqin (伯禽), Duke of Lu, held the town of Yan (颜邑) as their fief and took the town's name as their surname. Yan Hui (颜回), a disciple of Confucius, was of the Yan clan. Hall names of the Yan include “Luguo Hall” (鲁国堂) and “Kefu Hall” (克复堂). There is also an account that after the fall of the Jin (金), the Jurchen Wanyan (完颜) clan changed their surname to Yan.^[1]

How the Yan came to Taishan and where they live is yet to be added. Family members who know more are welcome to edit this article.