Ben (trad. 賁, simp. 贲) is a Chinese surname meaning "bright, energetic". It is romanized Pên in Wade–Giles, or Ban in Cantonese romanization. According to a 2013 study, it was not one of the top 400 surnames in modern China.Yuan Yida (袁义达), Qiu Jiaru, 邱家儒. 中国四百大姓. Beijing Book Co. Inc., 1 January 2013 It is the 179th name on the Hundred Family Surnames poem.K. S. Tom. (1989). Echoes from Old China: Life, Legends and Lore of the Middle Kingdom. University of Hawaii Press. .
Origins Several origins are claimed for the surname: from Xian Ben Fu (縣賁父) a carriage driver during the reign of Duke Zhuang of Lu (706–662 BC) from Hu Ben (虎賁), an official post in charge of guarding the king or the royal palace from the Ben Hun (賁渾), a minority ethnic group in ancient western China
Notable people Fan Ben (died 349), Chinese politician and emperor Sun Ben ( 190s–200s), Chinese general Wang Ben ( 220s BCE), Chinese general
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