Chan

Chan is a surname commonly found in Chinese communities and in the global diaspora. It is most typically the Cantonese romanization of the Chinese surname 陳, though the same character appears with different spellings in other Chinese dialects.

The surname 陳 is traditionally traced to the ancient state of Chen (陳) during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Henan and Anhui provinces. After the state's decline, descendants adopted Chen as a surname, which spread through migration to southern China and overseas.

In Mandarin-speaking areas, the surname is usually rendered Chen; in Cantonese-speaking regions it becomes Chan. Other dialects yield Tan (Hokkien/Teochew) and other spellings depending on local romanization conventions.

Chan remains one of the most common surnames in Chinese communities, especially in Hong Kong, Macau, Guangdong Province, Singapore, and Malaysia, and among overseas Chinese in North America and Europe.

Notable people with the surname include Jackie Chan, the Hong Kong actor and martial artist born Chan Kong-sang, and Margaret Chan, a Hong Kong-born physician and former Director-General of the World Health Organization.