▁Asian ▁Pacific ▁Americans , ▁and ▁ 4 5 9 th - most ▁common ▁overall , ▁with ▁ 5 9 , 8 1 1 ▁bear ers ▁( 9 1 . 0 % ▁of ▁whom ▁identified ▁as ▁Asian / P ac ific ▁Island er ). ▁Chan ▁was ▁the ▁nin th - most ▁common ▁Chinese ▁surname ▁in ▁Singapore ▁as ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁( rank ed ▁by ▁English ▁sp elling , ▁rather ▁than ▁by ▁Chinese ▁characters ). ▁R ough ly ▁ 4 8 , 4 0 0 ▁people , ▁or ▁ 1 . 9 % ▁of ▁the ▁Chinese ▁Singapore an ▁population , ▁bore ▁the ▁surname ▁Chan . ▁ ▁C anton ese ▁roman isation ▁of ▁ 陈 / 陳 ▁Chan ▁is ▁a ▁C anton ese ▁roman isation ▁of ▁the ▁surname ▁sp elled ▁in ▁p iny in ▁as ▁Ch én ▁( 陳 ). ▁▁ ▁D iana ▁M ing ▁Chan ▁( 张 陈 <0xE7> <0xBB> <0xB4> 明 ; ▁ 1 9 2 9 - 2 0 0 8 ), ▁Chinese - American ▁social ▁worker ▁Gem ma ▁Chan ▁( 陳 <0xE9> <0x9D> <0x9C> ; ▁born ▁ 1 9 8 2 ), ▁Chinese - English ▁actress ▁& ▁model ▁Isabel ▁Chan ▁( 陳 <0xE9> <0x80> <0xB8> <0xE5> <0xAF> <0xA7> ; ▁born ▁ 1 9 7 9 ), ▁Chinese ▁actress ▁based ▁in ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁ ▁H ok k ien ▁roman isation ▁of ▁ <0xE6> <0x9B> <0xBE> ▁Chan ▁is ▁a ▁H ok k ien ▁roman isation ▁of ▁the ▁surname ▁sp elled ▁in ▁p iny in ▁as ▁Z ē ng ▁( <0xE6> <0x9B>