Yifan

Yifan is a Chinese given name used in Mandarin-speaking communities. In pinyin, it is written Yifan and consists of two syllables: yi and fan. Because Chinese given names are typically formed from two characters, the meaning of Yifan depends on the specific characters chosen for the syllables. For example, yi can be 一 (one), 宜 (appropriate), 易 (easy), or 义/毅 (righteous or firm); fan can be 凡 (ordinary), 帆 (sail), 翻 (turn/translate). Therefore, Yifan can convey a variety of wishes or attributes, with the exact meaning determined by the chosen hanzi.

Yifan is commonly used as a unisex given name, given to boys and girls in Chinese-speaking regions. It is widespread in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and among the Chinese diaspora worldwide. The name aligns with broader late 20th- and early 21st-century trends that favor two-character given names.

Romanization and transcription: Yifan is the standard pinyin rendering. In contexts that omit tone marks or use other romanization systems, it may appear as Yi-fan or Yi Fan. Because the two syllables can be represented by many different characters, the same romanization can correspond to multiple distinct names with different meanings.

Overall, Yifan is primarily a cultural and linguistic construction rather than a single fixed name, with its precise sense determined by the characters chosen for the bearer's name.