1Chen Yuan (Chinese name); most notably Chen Yuan (b. 1945), former chairman of the China Development Bank (国家开发银行) and son of Communist Party elder Chen Yun (陈云)
元 (yuán, 'origin, first, primary') carries connotations of being foremost — as in 元首 (head of state) or 状元 (top imperial exam scorer). A weighty character for a given name.