Yon

Family name origins & meanings

• French : from the Latin personal name Ionis, which also occurs as an element of place names. The personal name was popularized by a 3rd-century Athenian saint who evangelized Châtres (present-day Arpajon), where he was martyred. As an American family name, it is probably of Huguenot origin.
• Korean (Yŏn) : there are three Chinese characters for the surname Yŏn, only one of which occurs frequently enough to be treated here. Some sources indicate that there are thirty Yŏn clans, but they all seem to be descended from the Hapsan Yŏn clan, whose founding ancestor, Yŏn Su–ch’ang, migrated to the Koryŏ kingdom after escorting a princess to the Koryŏ court. The king (probably King Ch’ungyŏl (1274–1308)) gave him some land in the Hapsan area, and so began the Hapsan Yŏn clan. The surname can be found throughout the peninsula, but it is most common in Ch’ungch’ŏng North province.