Chinese surname · rank 139

蓝 is read as lán.

Pinyin

lán

Script forms

Simplified 蓝 · Traditional 藍

Basic meaning

indigo plant; blue

Five element

Wood

Origin

Time: Ancient Lan place/state and plant-name traditions; Ancient surname tradition, before 221 BCE; exact calendar year not pinned by the attached sources

Place: Lan place traditions in the central and southern regions

Origin note

Lan surname traditions include place-name and plant-name layers. The indigo-blue plant meaning is useful for English-facing symbolism.

Historical figures

蓝玉 (Lan Yu)

died 1393 CE · Ming general

A major early Ming military figure.

蓝采和 (Lan Caihe)

legendary figure · Daoist popular figure

One of the Eight Immortals in Daoist popular tradition.

Sources checked