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Pan Family History

Pan Surname Meaning

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 潘 meaning ‘rice water’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from the placename Pan (潘) a fief (located in present-day northwestern Shangqiu in Henan province) that was granted to Ji Sun son of Bi Gong Gao (Duke of Bi the 15th son of King Wen of Zhou 1152–1056 BC). (ii) borne by descendants of Pan Chong (潘崇) a noble in the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iii) adopted as a surname by the Po Duo Luo (破多罗) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). (iv) adopted as a surname by Pan Shao (潘紹) who changed his original surname Zhao to Pan during the Yuan dynasty (1206–1368 AD).

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 盤 denoting ‘washbasin’ or ‘plate’ in ancient Chinese: said to be borne by descendants of Pan Hu (盤瓠) an ancient legendary figure. They were originally scattered around the present-day southern Sichuan province and later migrated to Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Guangdong province.

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 泮 meaning ‘side' or ‘waterside' in Chinese: possibly derived from a placename (said to be name of a place in the state of Wey (衛) during the Spring and Autumn period 770–476 BC).

Chinese: Cantonese and alternative Mandarin form of the surname 班 see Ban 6. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 彭 see Peng Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 范 see Fan 7: Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 賓 see Bin 8: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 馮 possibly based on its Hokkien or Teochew pronunciation see Feng

Korean: there are two Chinese characters for this surname; only one of them however is common enough to warrant treatment here. There are three clans which use this character: the Kisŏng (also called the Kŏje), the Kwangju and the Namp’yŏng. The founding ancestors of these clans were Koryŏ (918–1392) figures and it is widely believed that they were related. Compare Ban 9.10: Amerindian (Guatemala and Mexico): Mayan name from pan ‘flag banner’. Spanish: metonymic occupational name for a baker or a pantryman from pan ‘bread’ (from Latin panis).

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


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Where is the Pan family from?

You can see how Pan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Pan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Pan families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 24 Pan families living in Ontario. This was about 51% of all the recorded Pan's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Pan families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Pan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Pan ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Labourer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Pan. 50% of Pan men worked as a Labourer.

View Census Data for Pan | 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

  • Labourer
    50%
  • Laborer
    25%
  • Cultivateur
    25%

What Pan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 11,000 census records available for the last name Pan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Pan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Pan. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 14,000 military records available for the last name Pan. For the veterans among your Pan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Pan lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2004, in the United States, Pan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1983, and highest in 1970. The average life expectancy for Pan in 1964 was 84, and 84 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Pan 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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