Our answer
China’s 36th most common surname 潘
Written the same in simplified and traditional Chinese; the same character gives the Vietnamese surname Phan
The short answer
Pan (潘, Pān) is a Chinese surname, ranked 36th in China’s 2019 Ministry of Public Security list. As an old word the character meant the water in which rice has been rinsed. Tradition traces the name to a Zhou-dynasty fief and to a branch of the royal house of Chu. Abroad it is spelled Poon, Phua, Pua or Phan.
| In Chinese | 潘, written the same in simplified and traditional characters |
|---|---|
| Pinyin | Pān (first tone) |
| Rank in China (2019) | No. 36 (Ministry of Public Security); 31st in Taiwan |
| Other spellings | Poon (Hong Kong), Pun (Macau), Phoon (Malaysia), Phua (Hokkien and Teochew), Pua (Philippines), Phan (Vietnam), Ban (Korea) |
| Meaning of the character | In old Chinese, the water in which rice has been rinsed; also the name of a river flowing into the Han |
| Largest in | Guangdong (2013) |
| Population | About 6.87 million, 0.52% of China’s population (Fuxi Institution, 2013) |
Origins of the Pan surname
Two traditional origins are usually given. The first goes back to the Zhou dynasty: Ji Sun (季孙), a son of the Duke of Bi and so a descendant of King Wen of Zhou, was given land at a place called Pan, and his descendants took it as their surname. The Chinese-language Wikipedia places this fief in the Shaanxi area.
The second traces the name to the state of Chu, where the Pan were a branch of the ruling house. The best-known early member is Pan Chong (潘崇), a Chu noble who helped Crown Prince Shangchen to the throne as King Mu of Chu. The Chinese-language Wikipedia considers this line the more likely ancestor of most later Pan families.
The name travelled with migrants. A Korean Pan lineage claims descent from the sons of Pan You (潘佑), an official of the Southern Tang who went to Goryeo, and in Vietnam the same character gives the surname Phan. For how surnames and given names fit together, see our guide to Chinese names.[1][2][6]
How Pan is spelled around the world
Few Chinese surnames have as many spellings as Pan. The character is the same everywhere; the spelling follows the local language.[1][3]
| Spelling | Where | Language or system |
|---|---|---|
| Pan | Mainland China | Mandarin, pinyin |
| P’an | Older Western books | Mandarin, Wade–Giles |
| Poon | Hong Kong | Cantonese |
| Pun | Macau | Cantonese |
| Phoon | Malaysia | Cantonese |
| Phua | Singapore and Malaysia | Hokkien, Teochew |
| Pua | Philippines | Hokkien |
| Phan | Vietnam; Hakka speakers | Vietnamese, Hakka |
| Ban | Korea and Japan | Korean and Japanese readings |
Where the Pan surname is most common
Pan was the 36th most common surname in mainland China in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list. The 100 most common surnames in that list together cover 85.9% of China’s registered population, out of more than 6,000 surnames in use.
Fuxi Institution figures for 2013 put the number of people called Pan at about 6.87 million, or 0.52% of the population, with Guangdong the province with the most. In Taiwan it ranks 31st.
The name is far more prominent in Vietnam, where Phan was estimated in 2005 to be the surname of about 5% of the population.[1][2][4][5]
Famous people named Pan
| Name | Chinese | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Pan Yue | 潘岳 | Jin dynasty poet, paired with Lu Ji in the phrase 潘陆 |
| Pan Xiaoting | 潘晓婷 | Professional pool player, WPBA Rookie of the Year 2006 |
| Rebecca Pan | 潘迪華 | Hong Kong actress and singer |
| Dickson Poon | 潘迪生 | Hong Kong businessman, owner of the Harvey Nichols department stores |
| Poon Lim | 潘濂 | Sailor who survived 133 days alone on a raft in the South Atlantic |
| Pua Khein-Seng | 潘健成 | Malaysian engineer credited with inventing the USB flash drive |
| Chung-Kwong Poon | 潘宗光 | President of Hong Kong Polytechnic University |
Questions readers ask
What does the Pan surname mean?
In old Chinese, 潘 meant the water in which rice has been rinsed, and it was also the name of a river flowing into the Han. As a surname it is traced to a Zhou-dynasty fief called Pan and to a branch of the royal house of Chu.
Is Pan a Chinese last name?
Yes. Pan (潘) is a Chinese family name, the 36th most common in mainland China in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list.
How common is Pan in China?
It ranked 36th in 2019. Fuxi Institution figures for 2013 put the number of people called Pan at about 6.87 million, 0.52% of the population, with the most in Guangdong.
How do you pronounce Pan?
Pān, with a high, level first tone. The vowel is an open ‘ah’, so it sounds like ‘pahn’ rather than the English word ‘pan’.
Is Poon the same as Pan?
Yes, when it is written 潘. Poon is the Cantonese spelling used in Hong Kong; Pun is used in Macau and Phoon in Malaysia.
Is Phua a Chinese surname?
Yes. Phua is the Hokkien and Teochew spelling of 潘, common in Singapore and Malaysia. In the Philippines the same surname is usually spelled Pua.
Is the Vietnamese surname Phan Chinese?
Phan is the Vietnamese reading of the same character, 潘. It is a different surname from Phạm.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Pan (surname) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia (Chinese), 潘姓 · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Behind the Name, Pan (Chinese) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, List of common Chinese surnames (Ministry of Public Security 2019 ranking; Fuxi Institution 2013 figures) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- The Paper (澎湃新闻), 公安部发布最新百家姓 (20 January 2020) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- MDBG Chinese–English dictionary, 潘 · accessed 1 Nov 2026
Update log. 1 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 1 February 2027. Suggest a correction