GGood Chinese Name

Chinese surname · rank 95

严

严 is read as yán.

Pinyin

yán

Script forms

Simplified 严 · Traditional 嚴

Basic meaning

strict; severe; dignified

Five element

Wood

Origin

Time: Eastern Han taboo-avoidance tradition from 庄 to 严, plus separate Yan branches; Eastern Han textual layer, 25-220 CE

Place: Multiple lineages; Zhuang-to-Yan tradition spread through Han-era records

Origin note

Yan needs a written-form/history note. A common tradition says some 庄 lineages changed to 严 to avoid the personal name of Emperor Ming of Han, Liu Zhuang. Other Yan branches exist, so the page presents this as a major written-form change tradition, not the only possible origin.

Historical figures

严复 (Yan Fu)

1854-1921 CE · translator and thinker

A late Qing thinker known for influential translations of Western works.

严嵩 (Yan Song)

1480-1567 CE · Ming grand secretary

A powerful and controversial Ming official.

Sources checked