Posted by Zona M. Tan on August 30, 1999 at 11:19:41:
In Reply to: What is the meaning of the surname TAN? posted by Andrew Ten on May 10, 1999 at 20:28:33:
: What is the meaning, origin, and significance of the surname TAN?
I am not quite sure of the origins of this surname myself. But as for the meaning, it depends on the Chinese dialect you originate from.
In my case, I am from the Hokkien dialect. and Tan in Hokkien means "Egg"... while in Cantonese it means "Bill" or "Check" and in Mandarin, it means "Orange".
It varies in meaning by the pronunciation of the name, really.
I tried researching this surname's origin on the net, and found by surprise that it is of german origin. I don't know how conclusive that is,
but i'm still trying. If anyone has any material, please let me know.