Meaning of Last Name

林 Lin is a pinyin transcription of one of several Chinese surnames, with 林 (pinyin Lín) being overwhelmingly the most common. The literal meaning of this surname is "forest" or "woods". The majority of people with this surname are concentrated in the south-eastern coastal regions of Fujian and Taiwan. Among the overseas Chinese, the surname Lin (also transcribed as Lam, Lum, Lim or Liem) may be more common than in China because many overseas Chinese have origins in Fujian. This is due to the migrating Fujian Chinese seeking their fortunes particularly in Southeast Asia. In Hong Kong and Vietnam, the name most often takes the form "Lam". Lin is the second most common surname in Taiwan, with a population of 9% Taiwanese (2.1 million, 2005 estimate), behind only Chen. In mainland China (except Fujian), Lin is less common.