Surname Longan - Meaning and Origin
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Longan: What does the surname Longan mean?
The last name Longan is believed to have originated from the province of Anhui in China. It is believed that when the Chinese migrated to other parts of the world, they adopted the last name “Longan” as a means of identifying themselves. The surname Longan is derived from the Chinese characters for “dragon” and “safe”, thereby creating a name that symbolizes courage and protections.
The Longan clan has held a position of prestige since the 19th century. Its members have achieved high levels of education and attained success in many fields. For example, Longan members have become intellectuals, lawyers, businessmen, politicians, and religious leaders.
Today, the surname Longan is shared by millions of people worldwide, across multiple cultures. The name is especially popular in different parts of China, including the provinces of Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Fujian.
The Longan family is an integral part of contemporary Chinese culture and Chinese society, embodying courage, safety, and success, while paying homage to the ancient roots of the Chinese culture and the values of the Longan clan.
Order DNA origin analysisLongan: Where does the name Longan come from?
The Longan surname is most commonly found in Asia, particularly in China and Vietnam. In China, it is thought to have originated from a common ancestral clan, possibly during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). There is also a high frequency in Southeast Asia, India and other parts of the world with large Chinese diaspora populations.
In the United States, the name is less common but has been found in early American Census records and ship passenger lists, suggesting many Longans emigrated to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as part of the Chinese Diaspora. The surname is also quite common in Canada, particularly in the Metro Vancouver area, where there are numerous Chinatowns and large existing Chinese populations.
The name Longan also appears in European languages, likely as an adaptation of the Chinese pronunciation. In Spain, Portugal, Italy, and other countries of southern Europe, the name is sometimes found as Longano, Lungano, or Llongano. In the Netherlands, it is often found as Langen and in France it is sometimes Langin or Longin.
Regardless of origin, it is clear that the surname Longan is quite diverse and has spread to many countries over the course of human history. Today, it is found on all six inhabited continents in various forms and spellings, indicating the global reach of the surname and its ties to the great diversity of people around the world.
Variations of the surname Longan
The surname Longan is of British origin and can be spelled in several different ways, such as Longen, Langham, Longham, Langan and even Langman. It was likely derived from the Old English pre 7th century word “lang” which means long, and hence the literal meaning of this surname is “long.”
The surname Longan was first found in Lancashire where they were seated from very early times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Variants of this surname include Longe, Longham, Long, Longman, Longmen, Longeham, Longam, Lang, and Lungam.
Spelling variations for this name were found in many archives, including the Lancashire Wills Records from 1544 to 1675, the Lancashire Hearth Tax of 1664, and the “Marginalia” or remarks made by the court during the James I era in Lancashire in the year 1602.
Some of the earlier bearers of the Longan surname were Richard Longan who was recorded in the “Papers in Lincolnshire” in the year 1550 and Geoffrey Langam, who was recorded in the Pleas of the Forest in 1261.
In Ireland, the variant surname spelling of Langan is more common, and is renowned for itsassociation with the Unforgettable Irish Giant, Joe Langan of the Irish Famine who died at the age of 38. A fierce and passionate Irishman, Joe Langan was known as the “Prince of Irish Giants” and to this day, his name is remembered throughout Ireland.
It is likely that the variations of the surname Longan came about because of the small variations in local dialect and accents of pronunciation which occurred in early times when people moved within the same local area or to distant parts of the country.
Famous people with the name Longan
- LeAnn Rimes Cibrian Longan: American singer, songwriter, actress and author.
- David Longan: American actor, director and writer.
- Jonathan Longan: Australian adventurer and TV presenter.
- David S. Longan: American civil servant and former executive director of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
- Damian Longan: New Zealand-born rugby union player and coach.
- Colin Longan: British Conservative Party politician who is currently the Member of Parliament for Colne Valley.
- Dante Longan: Dominican-American poet and playwright.
- Tom Longan: former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1966.
- John R. Longan: United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.
- Ray Longan: American businessman who was instrumental in the launch of the Tri-Star Pictures movie studio.