lån

Lín is the pinyin romanization of the Chinese surname 林, which literally means forest. It is one of the most common surnames in China and among Chinese communities worldwide. The surname is believed to have multiple ancient origins and was adopted by several families independently, often described as a toponymic or descriptive surname rather than tracing to a single progenitor.

Geographic distribution: 林 is especially common in southern China, notably Fujian and Guangdong, and in Taiwan. It is also widespread among overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia, North America, and elsewhere. In romanization terms, Lin is used in Mandarin contexts; Lim is common among Hokkien/Teochew speakers; and Lam is common among Cantonese speakers.

Cross-cultural usage: The same character is used as a surname in other East Asian languages with different readings. In Japanese, the character 林 is read Hayashi; in Korean, as Im or Lim; in Vietnamese, as Lâm.

Notable bearers: The surname is borne by many people across politics, science, literature, and the arts in China, Taiwan, and the diaspora.