This is a list of people with the surname Yan (顏). Yán is the pinyin romanization of the Chinese surname written 顏 in Chinese character. The surname is the 112th most common surname in the People's Republic of China in 2016, mostly concentrated in Hunan, Guangxi and Hubei regions, with total population of around 1.7 million.
In history
Yan You (颜友), the first Yan in Chinese history, ruler of Xiao Zhu
Disciples of Confucius, Spring and Autumn period
Yan Hui (颜回), Confucius' favourite disciple
Yan Wuyou (顏無繇), was one of the earliest disciples of Confucius. He was the father of Yan Hui Yan Xing (顏幸), Yan Zu (顏祖), Yan Zhipo (顏之僕), Yan Kuai (顏噲) Yan Gao (顏高), according to the 'Narratives of the School,' he was the same as Yan Ke (刻, or 剋), who drove the carriage when Confucius rode in Wei after the duke and Lady Nanzi (南子) Yan He (顏何), the present copies of the 'Narratives of the School' do not contain his name, and in AD 1588 Ran was displaced from his place in the temples. His tablet, however, has been restored during the Qing Yan Zhengzai (顏徵在), mother of Confucius Three Kingdoms Period, Jin Dynasty Yan Fei (顏斐), served as the Grand Administrator of Jingzhao during the reign of Cao Pi, Three Kingdoms Period Yan Liang (颜良) (died 200) was a military general during Three Kingdoms period Yan Han (顏含), prefect of Wu Commandery of Jin Dynasty Northern and Southern dynasties, Sui dynasty, Tang dynasty Yan Jianyuan (顏見遠), Imperial Examiner of Southern Qi Yan Xie (顏協) (491–539), an official and scholar of Liang dynasty Yan Zhiyi (颜之仪) (523–591), minister of Northern Zhou Dynasty and governor of Sui dynasty Yan Zhitui (顏之推) (531–591), was a Chinese calligrapher, painter, musician, writer, philosopher and politician during Liang dynasty in southern China, the Northern Qi and Northern Zhou of northern China, and the Sui dynasty. He was a supporter of Buddhism in China. Yan Silu (颜思鲁), was a minister in Sui dynasty & Tang dynasty, Yan Minchu (顏愍楚), famous scholar in Sui dynasty & Tang dynasty Yan Youqin (顏游秦), governor of Lianzhou in Sui dynasty & Tang dynasty Yan Shigu (顏師古) (581–645), formal name Yan Zhou (顏籀), was a famous Chinese historian, linguist, politician, and writer of the Tang dynasty Yan Zhenqing (颜真卿) (709–785) was a Chinese calligrapher, military general and governor of the Tang dynasty Yan Hui (颜辉), Chinese painter during the Southern Song and early Yuan dynasties. He primarily painted human, Buddhist, and ghost figures. Yan Zong (颜宗) (1393–1459), was a magistrate of the Ming dynasty and skillful landscape painter Pedro Yan Shiqi (顏思齊) (1586 – September 1625), tailor, fugitive, armed maritime merchant and pioneer of Taiwan Yan Yuan (颜元) (1635–1704), founded the practical school of Confucianism, his school promoted the Six Arts