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Fan Family History

Fan Surname Meaning

Chinese:: Mandarin or Cantonese form of the surname 范 meaning ‘mould’ or ‘restrict’ in ancient Chinese: from the placename Fan (范) the name of a fief (located in present-day Fanxian in Henan province) granted to Shi Hui also known as Fan Wuzi (范武子) an official in the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).

Mandarin or Cantonese form of the surname 樊 meaning ‘fence hedge’ in ancient Chinese: (i) borne by descendants of Tang the first king of the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). The Fan family was one of the seven clans of the Shang dynasty that were sent to the state of Wey after the annihilation of the Shang dynasty.

(ii) from the placename Fan (樊) the name of a fief (located in present-day Jiyuan in Henan province) granted to Zhong Shanfu by King Xuan of Zhou (reigned 827–782 BC).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Fan family from?

You can see how Fan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Fan families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 20 Fan families living in Ontario. This was about 27% of all the recorded Fan's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Fan families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Fan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Fan ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Instituteur was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Fan. 31% of Fan men worked as an Instituteur.

View Census Data for Fan | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Instituteur
    31%
  • Farmer
    28%
  • Laundryman
    13%
  • Labourer
    10%

What Fan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 8,000 census records available for the last name Fan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Fan

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Fan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Fan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Fan. For the veterans among your Fan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Fan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Fan family history

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What is the average Fan lifespan?

Between 1966 and 2004, in the United States, Fan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1975, and highest in 1982. The average life expectancy for Fan in 1966 was 80, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Fan

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Fan ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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