Tran
A Vietnamese surname that most often comes from the common family name Trần, widely known in the Vietnamese diaspora.
The #132 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 1,638 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Tran is commonly an Anglicized spelling of Vietnamese Trần. In Vietnamese naming practice, Trần is a long-established family name of Chinese origin, associated with the Sino-Vietnamese reading of a clan name written with the character 陳. The underlying sense is often explained as a name for a dwelling or arrangement of people, though in surnames it functions chiefly as a hereditary family name rather than a descriptive word.
History
The surname is especially prominent in Vietnam, where Trần has been borne by major historical figures, including the Trần dynasty that ruled in the 13th–14th centuries. Outside Vietnam, Tran is a very common diaspora spelling, especially in countries using the Latin alphabet without diacritics. In English-language records the accent mark is often omitted, so Tran frequently represents Trần.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Vietnamese diacritics are often dropped in passports and census records, Tran is one of the most visible Vietnamese surnames in English-speaking countries.
From the historical record
“b the water, Not. tlie 1, 1696, being Ihe Lord'i dav. ai Ibey wen going Eoom fram the Kirk ' : Tran^ Cni^ and Weatm.Ant.andArcb.SoC'.ToLTiil.p.iS?. The famous Taiilefer of thebattle oT Hastings will be famili reader. Lower saya that Tailzefer”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances