A series of analogs of n-fatty acid amide (n-FAA) have been identified in different late Quaternary sedimentary strata from northwest China by using the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Based on the carbon distribution as well as the characteristics of n-FAA and previous studies, we suggest that the n-FAA originated from biogenic sources rather than petrolic residues, or any other potential contaminant. By comparing the distribution of n-FAA in different paleo-lakes and loess strata, we propose that Ejina basin is one of the main source areas of Luochuan loess deposits. Alternatively, the relationship of the material source between the Qaidam Basin and Luochuan Loess deposit is low. The ratios of unsaturated to saturated n-FAA (UFAA) show trends comparable to that of the magnetic susceptibility and grain size variation within the loess, especially the lowest values associated with warm/humid episodes. This phenomenon indicates that the distribution of the n-FAA was influenced by early diagenetic processes, which were controlled by paleoclimatic variations. Our results highlight the variation within n-FAA, which is naturally formed in the physiology of different organisms. n-FAA can also record the paleoclimatic variation, similar to lipids, which originate from the constitutional unit of a cell membrane.