Fan Family History

Fan Surname Meaning

Chinese:: Mandarin or Cantonese form of the surname 范 meaning ‘mould’ or ‘restrict’ in ancient Chinese: from the placename Fan (范) the name of a fief (located in present-day Fanxian in Henan province) granted to Shi Hui also known as Fan Wuzi (范武子) an official in the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).

Mandarin or Cantonese form of the surname 樊 meaning ‘fence hedge’ in ancient Chinese: (i) borne by descendants of Tang the first king of the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). The Fan family was one of the seven clans of the Shang dynasty that were sent to the state of Wey after the annihilation of the Shang dynasty.

(ii) from the placename Fan (樊) the name of a fief (located in present-day Jiyuan in Henan province) granted to Zhong Shanfu by King Xuan of Zhou (reigned 827–782 BC).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Fang, Han, Pan, Yan, Tan, Gan, Kan, An, Man, Wan

28,000 record(s) for Fan

10K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
1K	Military Records
6K	Immigration Records
8K	Census and Voter Lists
1K	Member Trees

Where is the Fan family from?

You can see how Fan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Fan families were found in USA in 1920. In 1840 there were 3 Fan families living in Ohio. This was about 38% of all the recorded Fan's in USA. Ohio had the highest population of Fan families in 1840.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Fan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Fan ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Fan. 25% of Fan men worked as a Farmer and 14% of Fan women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Fan were Farm laborer and Teacher.

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

Farmer

25%

Laborer

21%

Salesman

11%

Farm laborer

7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

Housekeeper

14%

Housewife

14%

Clerk

10%

Teacher

10%

What Fan family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 8K census records available for the last name Fan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Passenger List

There are 6K immigration records available for the last name Fan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

Military Records

There are 1K military records available for the last name Fan. For the veterans among your Fan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

What is the average Fan lifespan?

Between 1966 and 2004, in the United States, Fan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1975, and highest in 1982. The average life expectancy for Fan in 1966 was 80, and 74 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Fan ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.