Jin is the Hanyu pinyin transliteration of a number of Chinese surnames. The most common one, Jīn , literally means "gold" and is 29th[1] in the list of "Hundred Family Surnames". As of 2006, it is ranked the 64th most common Chinese surname and is sometimes transliterated as Chin.

Jin
Language(s)Chinese
Origin
Meaning"gold"
Region of originChina
Other names
Variant form(s)Chin
Gyim
Kam
Kym
Kim
Kheng

The other, less common, surnames that are "Jin" in pinyin include Jìn (/) and Jìn ().

金 (Jīn)

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Mythology

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Jin is an ancient surname, dating back over 4,000 years. It was first mentioned during the period ruled by the Yellow Emperor, a legendary Chinese sovereign and cultural hero, who is considered in Chinese mythology to be the ancestor of all Han Chinese. The legend behind the Jin surname is as follows:

The Yellow Emperor's son, Yi Zhi (Shaohao), eventually succeeded him. On the same day he was installed as leader, a golden phoenix flew down and perched on top of a house exactly opposite of where he sat. His followers reckoned it was an auspicious beginning. They decided to use gold as the emblem of their tribe. Yi Zhi was retitled Jin Tian Shi ("golden skies") by his people, and headed the Jin Tian Tribe. Their settlement was located in Qufu (presently Qufu city in Shandong province). Yi Zhi died in 2515 BCE. Some of his descendants adopted Jin as their surnames and left off the words Tian Shi ("skies").[2]

The surname also appeared in an area called Pengcheng (now known as Tong Shan Xian) during the Han dynasty, from 206 BCE to 220 BCE.

Origin of Surname Jīn (金)

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Notables with the surname 金

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Cultural works

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Variants

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靳 (Jìn)

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According to legend, Jìn () family name originated from Zhurong. It was later a clan in the Chu (state). Originally the name was Jian-Jin (篯), but was later changed to Jian-Qian (錢) and Jìn (靳).

Notables with the surname 靳

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  • Yue-Sai Kan (靳羽西)
  • Jin Dong (Chinese: 靳东, born 1976), Chinese actor, known for his television roles in Legend of Entrepreneurship (2012)
  • Jin Ye (靳烨; Jìn Yè; born 1988), Chinese dancer, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned as Miss Universe
  • Jin Ruchao, (靳如超, 1960–2001) perpetrator of the Shijiazhuang bombings
  • Jin Zhun (靳準) (died 318), official of the Chinese/Xiongnu state Han-Zhao, who in 318 staged a coup against the Han-Zhao emperor and his son-in-law
  • Empress Jin (靳皇后/金皇后) may refer to one of the following Chinese empresses: Jin Yueguang (靳月光) and Jin Yuehua (靳月華), two of Han-Zhao emperor Liu Cong's
  • Jin Yunpeng (靳云鹏; 1877–1951), Chinese general and politician
  • Jin Hui (Chinese: 靳辉; born 1988), Chinese footballer who plays for Beijing Renhe in the China League One
  • Andrew Jin Daoyuan (Chinese: 靳道远; 1929–2019), bishop of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association
  • Jin Guidi (靳贵第; 1915–1937), or Chin Kuai-Ti, Chinese soldier and boxer
  • Jin Xi (Han), (靳歙), general under Emperor Liu Bang who in 209 BC, "joined in the attack on Qin forces, defeating Li You"
  • Empress Jin (Yin), (靳皇后, personal name unknown), briefly an empress of the Chinese/Xiongnu state Han-Zhao, wife of Liu Can (Emperor Yin)

晋/晉 (Jìn)

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Jìn ( family name originate from Táng Shū Yú (唐叔虞) the brother of King Wu of Zhou. He founded the state of Jin and his later descendants used the surname Jìn (晋).

Notables with the surname 晋

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References

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  1. ^ Ronald Eng Young (1996–2009). "The Hundred Families Surnames". The Origin of Hundred Surnames (in English and Chinese). Ronald Eng Young. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  2. ^ CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (13 September 1996). "Chinese surname No.29 Jin (gold)". Google groups - soc.culture.china. Retrieved 10 June 2012.