袁

Historically a compound ideograph with later graphic evolution.

Early oracle-bone forms show 衣 (의) combined with 又 (우), conveying the act/state of wearing clothes.

Subsequent variants introduced a circular mark, and over time 又 and 亠 merged through intermediary forms (㞢), eventually coalescing into 土 in the modern character.

This evolution reflects a shift from a concrete depiction of garment-wearing to a stabilized graph that later specialized as a surname.

Today, 袁 is used primarily as a surname.

Examples:

원씨 (袁氏) — the Yuan clan

Historical figures and place names bearing the surname 袁.

long or trailing garments (archaic);

The original descriptive sense related to clothing is archaic and rarely encountered outside philological discussions.