Lin

Lin ([lǐn]; Chinese: 林; pinyin: Lín) is the Mandarin romanization of the Chinese surname written 林, meaning "forest". It is one of the most common Chinese surnames, currently ranked 18th in mainland China and listed 147th on the classic Hundred Family Surnames.

According to traditional accounts, the surname Lin originated from the Shang dynasty. Di Xin (reigned 1154–1122 BC), the last king of the Shang, had an uncle named Bigan who was executed for remonstrating against the king's tyranny. Bigan's wife and children fled to the forest to hide, where they adopted the surname Lin (forest) to commemorate their refuge. This legendary origin is still widely cited.

The character 林 is composed of two wood/tree radicals, symbolizing a grove or forest. It is shared across several East Asian languages and writing systems, with local pronunciations retaining the same meaning. Variant readings include Im (Korean) and Hayashi (Japanese). Other writing systems within China produce different pronunciations: Lam (Cantonese), Lim (Hokkien/Teochew from the Southern Min diaspora), and Lum (also Cantonese).

The Lin surname is especially common among Chinese communities in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, reflecting the historical emigration from Fujian and Guangdong provinces. Notable bearers include Lin Zexu (1785–1850), a Qing dynasty official who led the fight against the opium trade, and Jeremy Lin (born 1988), an American professional basketball player of Taiwanese descent.

Related surnames outside of China include Im (Korean) and Hayashi (Japanese), though Hayashi is unrelated etymologically. The Vietnamese surname Lâm also corresponds to Lin.

• Meaning: Forest
• Origin: Chinese
• Type: Surname
• Usage regions: Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia