Xian (Chinese: 咸) is a Chinese surname. Its romanizations in Cantonese and Old Chinese are Haam and Ham or Hahm respectively.

It could refer to the surname 冼 which was chosen to replace the rare character surname Shan which cannot be displayed on a computer with normal coding. Two hundred people from Gaozhuang Village in Mudan District, Heze, Shandong were affected although people who already registered with their original name were allowed to keep it.^{[citation needed]}

Origin

• Di Ku (帝嚳) the Gaoxin (高辛)'s posterity get surname Xian (咸).
• during the Shang Dynasty, Astronomer Wu Xian (巫咸) get surname with Given name the Xian (咸).
• during the Emperor Yao, Si (姒) family get surname Xian (咸).
• in territory of Chu (state), Mi (芈) family get surname Xian (咸).
• during the Zhou Dynasty in Jin (晋), Ji (姬) family get surname Xian (咸).
• during the Han Dynasty, Hui people (回) get surname Xian (咸).
• during the Qing Dynasty in Liaoning, Khitan (契丹) get surname Xian (咸).
• Various Chinese Minority use surname Xian (咸).^{[citation needed]}

Notable people

• Lady Xian (512–602), noblewoman of the Li people born to the chieftain of the Xian tribe in Southern China
• Ah Xian (born 1960), Chinese-Australian artist
• He Zi Xian (born 1976), Chinese Grand Prix motorcycle racer
• Jia Xian, Chinese mathematician from Kaifeng of the Song dynasty
• Old Xian, artist based in Hangzhou, China
• Wang Xian (sport shooter) (born 1978), Chinese Olympic sport shooter
• Sim Woh Kum (冼松锦 xiǎn sōngjǐn; c. 1933 – 27 July 1973), Singaporean convicted murderer