Xian (surname)

Xian (咸)

Pronunciation	Xián
Language(s)	Chinese
Origin
Language(s)	Old Chinese
Derivation	Gaoxin (高辛)
Meaning	Salty
Other names
Variant form(s)	Xhan, Shan, Shen
Cognate(s)	Zi (surname) Wu (surname) Si (surname) Mi (surname) Ji (surname)
Derivative(s)	Haam, Ham, Hahm the Cantonese
See also	Wu Xian (astronomer)

Xian (Chinese: 咸) is a Chinese surname. Cantonese the Haam, old Chinese the Ham, Hahm.

It could refer to the surname 冼 which was chosen to replace the rare character surname Shan which cannot be displayed on a computer with normal coding. Two hundred people from Gaozhuang Village in Mudan District, Heze, Shandong were affected although people who already registered with their original name were allowed to keep it. The choice was controversial as some people saw that future generations would forget their name.

Origin

• Di Ku (帝嚳) the Gaoxin (高辛)'s posterity get surname Xian (咸).
• during the Shang Dynasty, Astronomer Wu Xian (巫咸) get surname with Given name the Xian (咸).
• during the Emperor Yao, Si (姒) family get surname Xian (咸).
• in territory of Chu (state), Mi (芈) family get surname Xian (咸).
• during the Zhou Dynasty in Jin (晋), Ji (姬) family get surname Xian (咸).
• during the Han Dynasty, Hui people (回) get surname Xian (咸).
• during the Qing Dynasty in Liaoning, Khitan (契丹) get surname Xian (咸).
• Various Chinese Minority use surname Xian (咸).

Notable people

• Lady Xian (512–602), noblewoman of the Li people born to the chieftain of the Xian tribe in Southern China
• Ah Xian (born 1960), Chinese-Australian artist
• He Zi Xian (born 1976), Chinese Grand Prix motorcycle racer
• Jia Xian, Chinese mathematician from Kaifeng of the Song dynasty
• Old Xian, artist based in Hangzhou, China
• Wang Xian (sport shooter) (born 1978), Chinese Olympic sport shooter

See also

• Ham (surname), Korean version
• Xian (disambiguation), including other people with the name Xian
• Hui people
• Khitan people
• Mandarin Chinese
• Chinese Minority
• Xianyang, city in Shaanxi