An surname ranks 79th in the "Hundred Surnames," and is widely distributed. There were An Tong during the Northern Wei dynasty, An Jinzang during the Tang dynasty, and An Zhiyuan during the Qing dynasty.
Some famous people with the surname An in history
An Qisheng: from Langya, he was said to have studied immortality techniques under He Shang Zhangren. He often sold medicine at sea, and people called him "the Elder of a Thousand Years." When Emperor Qin Shi Huang toured the east, the alchemist Li Shaojun told Emperor Wu that the immortal An Qisheng ate large dates as big as melons. Emperor Wu sent people to search for him at sea but failed.
An Qing: courtesy name Shi Gao. A prince of the country of Anxi. He had already inherited the throne, but in order to return to China, he gave the throne to his uncle, became a monk, and followed Buddhism. He was proficient in Sanskrit and recited scriptures. In the second year of Jianhe of Emperor Huan of the Eastern Han dynasty, he came to Luoyang, Henan, to spread Buddhism. After settling down, he studied Chinese to better spread the religion, and translated more than 30 works from Sanskrit into Chinese, all belonging to the Hinayana school.
An Tong: from Liaodong during the Cao Wei dynasty. He was clear-sighted in his official duties, skilled in training, and maintained a strict family discipline. People praised him for having the talent to save the world.
An Jinzang: from Chang'an (now Xi'an, Shaanxi Province) during the Tang dynasty, he was a musician in the Taichang Temple. At that time, Prince Li Dan was falsely accused of plotting a rebellion, and Empress Wu ordered an investigation. To clear the prince's name, Jinzang drew a dagger and cut open his chest, exposing his intestines, and said, "I am willing to cut my heart to prove that the crown prince is not rebelling." Empress Wu was moved and no longer suspected Li Dan.
An Lushan: (703–757), from Liu Cheng in Yingzhou (now Chaoyang, Liaoning), originally named Yaluo Shan, and originally surnamed Kang. His mother was a Turk, and later married to the Hu person An Yanyan, so he changed his surname to An and took the name Lushan. He understood foreign languages, was tall and strong, and was brave in battle. He was adopted by General Zhang Shouyi of Youzhou and later promoted to the position of Pinglu Military Commander and Governor of Yingzhou. In 742, he was promoted to the Governor of Pinglu (based in Chaoyang, Liaoning). In the third year of Tianbao, he also served as the Governor of Fenyang (based in Beijing) and the Inspector of Hebei. In the tenth year of Tianbao, he also served as the Governor of Hedong (based in Taiyuan, Shanxi). He held three positions as governor, secretly cultivated Hu generals, raised horses, and won over Han scholars who had fallen out of favor. Eventually, he had 150,000 elite soldiers, claiming 200,000. He knew the corruption of the Tang rulers and, to compete with Yang Guozhong, rebelled against the Tang in FanYang in winter 755, marched southward, captured the important city Luoyang. In 756, he declared himself emperor of the state of Yan in Luoyang, with the national title Yan and the era name Shengwu. Later, he marched westward, captured Tongguan and entered Chang'an, committing mass killings. In 757, he was killed by his eldest son Anqingxu because he wanted to make Anqingsi the crown prince.
An Chongrong: from Shuozhou (now part of Shanxi Province) during the Five Dynasties. He initially served as the military governor of Chengde in the Later Jin dynasty. When Shi Jingtang submitted to the Khitan and called himself the "Son-in-law Emperor," An Chongrong felt ashamed and rose up to protest Shi Jingtang. The next year, he died due to defeat. His son An Deyu was raised by his subordinate Qin Xi since childhood. He loved reading, was well-versed in literature and history, and was especially good at the "Rites" and "Zuo Zhuan." Later, he passed the imperial examination in the early years of the Song dynasty and served as the governor of Muzhou, with forty volumes of literary works.
An Min: from Chang'an (now around Xi'an) in the Song dynasty, he was a famous stonemason. All the famous stone tablets at that time were carved by him. His character was noble and fearless of authority. When the government issued the "Yuan Party Canon Stone Tablet" written by Cai Jing to various regions, An Min only realized that Cai Jing was a corrupt minister after carving the tablet. He refused to carve the words "An Min Carved This Stone" and rejected the hundred taels of payment, earning praise from people.
An Jun: a famous general in the Song dynasty, courtesy name Zizhou, from Taiyuan. He served as the defense commander of Lingchuan and was known as "General Changran." He spent a long time on the border, and the Qiang people recognized him. When he was in charge of Huanshou, when Zeng Shiheng captured prisoners and asked, "Whom are you afraid of?" they replied, "We fear General An." Zeng pointed to An and said, "This is the long-bearded general."
An Xi: from Gaocheng during the Yuan dynasty (now part of Hebei Province), he was quiet and elegant, liked fishing, and wrote "Momo Collection" in five volumes.
An Shen: from Zichuan, during the Wanli period of the Ming dynasty, he passed the imperial examination and eventually served as the Deputy Master of the Imperial Stable. He wrote "Zhu Shi Cao" and other works.
An Pan: from Jiading Prefecture (now part of Shanghai) during the Ming dynasty, he served as a censor in the Ministry of War. In the early years of Jiajing, he was punished with a beating for opposing the great ritual and was removed from the register. He wrote "Yi Shan Poetry Talk" in two volumes.
An Dawei: from Yunmeng (now part of Hubei Province) during the Ming dynasty, he was refined and did not seek fame or fortune. He was learned and fond of ancient things, and was especially good at divination. An Chuan: from Zichuan during the Ming dynasty, he passed the examination in the Wanli period, successively serving as a departmental official and then as the governor of Weihui. He wrote "Qiongyin Collection." An Xifan: from Wuxi, Jiangsu, he passed the imperial examination in the Wanli period of the Ming dynasty, was appointed as a chief officer in the Ministry of Rites, and wrote "Tianquan Hall Collection."
An Weijun: from Qinan, Gansu, during the Guangxu period of the Qing dynasty, he passed the imperial examination and was appointed as a compiler. During the Sino-Japanese War, he submitted a memorial condemning Li Hongzhang for using foreign powers to bolster his own position, for surrendering and selling the country, which was deeply hated by both officials and commoners. Because of his bold words, he was dismissed. Later, he lived in seclusion in Baiya, shut himself away and wrote books. An Weijun was brave in giving advice, was once dismissed by Empress Dowager Cixi, but was later reappointed as the head teacher of the Capital University. He wrote "Four Books Lecture Notes" and "Poetry and Prose Collection."
Famous male stars with the surname An:
An Jae-hwan, An Hansheng, An Byunggi, An Sunggi, An Giyoung, etc.
Famous female stars with the surname An:
An Joohyun, An Hwimye, An Sin-a, An Ji, An Yihwan, An Ah, etc.
