Semaan (Syriac Aramaic: ܫܡܥܘܢ Šemʿōn ; Arabic: سمعان, Semʻān) (also spelled Sem'an, Semán, Simaan, Sim'an, Samaan, Sam'an, Sima'an) is a Christian surname mainly found in the Levant area of the Middle East.
The ethnic origin of Semaan families varies by geographic location, most prevalent of which is Greek-Syrian, descendants of the Byzantine Greek (Rûm) population of the Syrian tetrapolis (Antioch, Seleucia Pieria, Apamea, and Laodicea).
The story is based on oral tradition that claims that Saint Peter, avoiding persecution in his homeland, left his family with the Hellenized Jewish community of Antioch during his seven-year stay in the city before his travel to Rome.
In 1939, Turkey annexed the Hatay province, which includes Antakya (Antioch), after Syria had control over the territory since the end of World War I.
Today, the Semaans of Syria are scattered throughout, and they live in cities such as Latakia (Laodiceia), Homs (Emesa), Aleppo, and Damascus.