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| Pronunciation | Rén (Mandarin) Cantonese: Jyutping: jam4, Middle Chinese: /ȵiɪmH/ Old Chinese: (Baxter–Sagart): /*n[ə]m-s/ (Zhengzhang): /*njɯms/ | 
|---|---|
| Language(s) | Chinese | 
| Origin | |
| Language(s) | Old Chinese | 
| Other names | |
| Variant form(s) | Yam, Yum, Jen (Mandarin Wade Giles) | 
| Derivative(s) | Im (Korean surname) | 
Rén is the Mandarin pinyin romanisation of the Chinese surname written 任 in Chinese character. It is romanised as Jen in Wade–Giles, and Yam or Yum in Cantonese. It is listed 58th in the Song dynasty classic text Hundred Family Surnames.[1] As of 2008, it is the 59th most common surname in China, shared by 4.2 million people.[2] In 2019 it was the 49th most common surname in Mainland China.[3]
The character 任 is typically pronounced (pinyin: rèn; Jyutping: jam6), but as a surname is pronounced "rén," as well as in Ren County in Hebei.
Ancient Surname
Rèn (妊) is a variant of the surname and one of the Eight Great Surnames of Chinese Antiquity. Unlike 任 it is a very rare surname
The Zuo Zhuan states that the surname Ren is a descendant of Fuxi's surname Fēng.
Some consider the two surnames to be related
Notable people

- Ren Guang (任光; died 29 AD), Eastern Han dynasty general, one of the Yuntai 28 generals
 - Ren Shang (died 118), Eastern Han Protector General of the Western Regions
 - Ren Jun (died 204), Eastern Han dynasty military officer
 - Ren Yaxiang (died 662), Tang dynasty general and chancellor
 - Ren Zhigu (fl. 692), chancellor of Empress Wu Zetian
 - Ren Huan (died 927), Later Tang general and chancellor
 - Ren Renfa (1254–1327), Yuan dynasty artist and irrigation expert
 - Ren Xiong (1823–1857), painter of the Shanghai School
 - Ren Xun (1835–1893), painter, brother of Ren Xiong
 - Ren Bonian (1840–1896), painter of the Shanghai School, nephew of Ren Xiong and Ren Xun
 - Ren Zhu (died 1867), Nien Rebellion leader
 - Ren Fuchen (1884–1918), Soviet Red Army commander
 - Ren Guang (1900–1941), composer
 - Ren Bishi (1904–1950), early Communist leader
 - Chih-Kung Jen (Ren Zhigong; 1906–1995), Chinese-American physicist
 - Yam Kim-fai (任劍輝, 1913–1989), opera actress
 - Ren Mei'e (1913–2008), geologist
 - Ren Zhongyi (1914–2005), Communist Party Chief of Liaoning and Guangdong province
 - Ren Xinmin (1915–2017), aerospace engineer
 - Ren Jiyu (1916–2009), philosopher, scholar
 - Ren Rong (1917–2017), general and Communist Party Chief of Tibet Autonomous Region
 - Ren Rongrong (任溶溶; 1923–2022), children's literature writer and translator
 - Ren Jianxin (born 1925), former President of the Supreme People's Court of China
 - Ren Zhengfei (born 1944), founder, chairman and CEO of Huawei
 - Ren Wanding (born 1944), founder of Chinese Human Rights League
 - Yum Sin-ling (Ren Shanning; born 1948), Hong Kong politician
 - Joseph Yam (任志剛, born 1948), Hong Kong statistician
 - Ren Zhiqiang (born 1951), Chinese property tycoon and critic of the government
 - Gish Jen (Ren Bilian; born 1955), American writer
 - Simon Yam (Ren Dahua; born 1955), Hong Kong actor
 - Ren Runhou (1957–2014), former Vice Governor of Shanxi province
 - Ren Jianxin (born 1959), founder and president of ChemChina
 - Ren Yexiang (born 1961), actress
 - Vivian Wing-Wah Yam (Ren Yonghua; born 1963), Hong Kong chemist
 - Ren Xuefeng (1965–2019), Party Chief of Guangzhou and Deputy Party Chief of Guangdong and Chongqing
 - Richie Jen (Ren Xianqi; born 1966), Taiwanese singer and actor
 - Yam Kai-bong (任啟邦, born 1978), Hong Kong politician
 - Edward Yum (Ren Liangxian; born 1979), Hong Kong politician, son of Yum Sin-ling
 - Alex Yam (任梓铭, born 1981), Singaporean politician
 - Selina Jen (Ren Jiaxuan; born 1981), Taiwanese singer, member of S.H.E
 - Ren Hui (born 1983), female speed skater, Olympic medalist
 - Ren Han (born 1984), artist
 - Ren Yongshun (born 1985), football player
 - Ren Cancan (born 1986), world champion female boxer
 - Ren Ye (born 1986), female field hockey player, Olympic medalist
 - Ren Hang (1987–2017), photographer
 - Ren Suxi (born 1988), Chinese actress and singer
 - Ren Hang (born 1989), football player
 - Ren Xin (born 1989), football player
 - Ren Jialun (born 1989), Chinese actor and singer
 - Ren Junfei (born 1990), basketball player
 - Ren Hao (任豪) (born 1995), Chinese singer, member of R1SE
 - Ren Ziwei (born 1997), speed skater
 
References
- ↑ "百家姓" [Hundred Family Surnames] (in Chinese). Guoxue. Retrieved 2014-09-16.
 - ↑ 中国最新300大姓排名(2008) [300 most common surnames in China (2008)] (in Chinese). Taiwan.cn. 2009-01-06. Retrieved 2014-09-18.
 - ↑ "新京报 - 好新闻,无止境".
 
