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Qian Family History

Qian Surname Meaning

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 錢 meaning ‘money’ in Chinese: from Qian (錢) the name of a post held by officials in charge of the national treasury during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC).

Mandarin form of the surname 騫 from the second element of Zi Qian (子騫) style name of Min Sun a student of Confucius (551–479 BC).

Mandarin form of the surname 潛 meaning ‘lurk” in Chinese: habitational name from the placename Qian (潛) the name of an ancient state (possibly located in present-day Anhui province).

Mandarin form of the surname 千 meaning ‘thousand’ in Chinese: borne by descendants of Yang Qian Li (楊千里) also known as King of Bai Qing during the Three Kingdoms period (220–280 AD) who changed his original surname Yang (楊) to Qian (千).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Qian family from?

You can see how Qian families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Qian family name was found in the USA, and Scotland between 1851 and 1920. The most Qian families were found in USA in 1920, and Scotland in 1851. In 1851 there was 1 Qian family living in Angus. This was 100% of all the recorded Qian's in Scotland. Angus had the highest population of Qian families in 1851.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Qian surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What Qian family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 28 census records available for the last name Qian. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Qian census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 41 immigration records available for the last name Qian. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 3 military records available for the last name Qian. For the veterans among your Qian ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Qian lifespan?

Between 1993 and 2003, in the United States, Qian life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2002, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Qian in 1993 was 52, and 72 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Qian

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Qian ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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