In Chinese culture, name plays an important role in Chinese people's life. Parents have a great responsibility to choose a good name for their baby. Chinese parents believe good names will bring good luck and fortune to their child.
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- Chinese Names: Surname + Given Name
- Common Chinese Boy/Girl Names and Their Meanings
- Funny Chinese Names
- How to Choose Your Chinese Name
Chinese Names: Surname + Given Name
Chinese names consist of a family name and a given name. The family name comes first followed by a given name. Most family names are just one Chinese character. A few have two characters. Most given names have two characters, some have one, and very occasionally three are used.
Chinese Name vs English Name
Top 10 Most Common Chinese Surnames
Chinese “surnames” (family name) come first when written, opposite to the Western name order. There are about 2,000 Chinese surnames in use today, but about half of all Han Chinese people share the same 19 surnames!
The most common surnames are Wang and Li (each with about 7% of China’s population, compared to about 0.8% for Smith, the USA’s most common surname). The next 8 in the top 10 most common Chinese surnames are: Zhang, Liu, Chen, Yang, Huang, Zhao, Wu, and Zhou.
| Surname | Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 李 (Lǐ) | 95,300,000 | 7.94％ |
| 王 (Wáng) | 88,900,000 | 7.41％ |
| 张 (Zhāng) | 84,800,000 | 7.07％ |
| 刘 (Liú) | 64,600,000 | 5.38％ |
| 陈 (Chén) | 54,400,000 | 4.53％ |
| 杨 (Yáng) | 37,000,000 | 3.08％ |
| 赵 (Zhào) | 27,500,000 | 2.29％ |
| 黄 (Huáng) | 26,800,000 | 2.23％ |
| 周 (Zhōu) | 25,400,000 | 2.12％ |
| 吴 (Wú) | 24,600,000 | 2.05％ |
Changing Your Name After Marriage?In China, women don’t change their surnames when they get married. And nowadays, kids’ surnames can be the same as their mother’s or father’s (or they could take both, like a double-barreled surname). Traditionally, Chinese children always take their father’s family name.
Chinese Given Names
Almost all Chinese given names are made up of one, two, or three Chinese characters, which are written after the surnames. Two-character given names are by far the most popular for most Chinese.
Very few people have three characters for their given name. Some of these people have their mother’s family name as the first character of their given names. For example, Daming whose family name is Li is called Lidaming. Chinese given names have many taboos. One of them is using the name of old relatives or just copying the name of a famous person or celebrity. Sons mustn’t have the same names as their fathers.
Chinese Generation Names
A Chinese generation name is one of the characters in a standard two-character Chinese given name, which is shared by the same generation, such as cousins or siblings. The character used can be the first or second one.
In a big traditional Chinese family, you will see many young boys or girls sharing the same generation character in their given names. Sometimes the boys will have one generation name and the girls another.
For example, 李祖阳 and 李祖丽 share the same character '祖'.
Common Chinese Names and Their Meanings
Given names of a certain year often commemorate some important event. Such as Jianguo (‘Establish County’) was used by many babies born during the year that Modern China was founded (1949). Most Chinese given names have meanings of ‘happiness’, ‘beauty’, ‘fortune’, or ‘good wishes.
Popular Chinese Female/Girl Names
Most traditional Chinese female names are related to ‘beauty’, ‘happiness’, ‘flowers’, or ‘jade’. Here are some top female names:
- 1. Ai 爱 – Love
- 2. Fang 芳– Fragrance
- 3. Jing 静 – calm/quiet
- 4. Li 丽– pretty
- 5. Min 敏– nimble/clever
- 6. Yan 燕– swallow
- 7. Xiu 秀–elegant/graceful
- 8. Ya 雅– elegant
- 9. Hua 花–flower
- 10. Fen 芬–scent
- 11. Xiang 香– fragrance
- 12. Chun 春–spring
- 13. Mei 美 –beauty
Top 10 Most PopularChinese Female/Girl Names
According to the surveys of the Ministry of Public Security of China, the top 10 most popular Chinese girl’s names right now are the following:
- 1. 一诺 (Yī nuò) – one promise
- 2. 依诺 (Yī nuò) – follow promise
- 3. 欣怡 (Xīn yí)– happy/quiet
- 4. 梓涵 (Zǐ hán)– catalpa tree mellow
- 5. 语桐 (Yǔ tóng)– speak Firmiana Simplex tree
- 6. 欣妍 (Xīn yán)– vitality/beauty
- 7. 可欣 (Kě xīn)–merit admiration
- 8. 语汐 (Yǔ xī)– speak night tide
- 9. 雨桐 (Yǔ tóng)–rain Firmiana Simplex tree
- 10. 梦瑶 (Mèng yáo)–dream/jade
30 More Chinese Baby Girl Names to Inspire You
- 1. 婵娟 (chán juān) – the moon
- 2. 春华 (chūn huá) – spring grace
- 3. 冬梅 (dōng méi)– winter plums
- 4. 慧颖 (huì yǐng)– clever beauty
- 5. 慧芬 (huì fēn)– wise scent
- 6. 佳丽 (jiā lì)– good and beautiful
- 7. 佳怡(jiā yí)–auspicious
- 8. 佳慧 (jiā huì)– good smart
- 9. 兰芬 (lán fēn)–scent of an orchid
- 11. 丽华 (lì huá)–beautiful elegant
- 12. 丽梅 (lì méi)–beautiful plum blossom
- 13. 丽娜 (lì nà)–beautiful/graceful
- 14. 美莲 (měi lián)–beautiful lotus
- 15. 明霞 (míng xiá)–bright glow
- 16. 明珠 (míng zhū)–bright pearl
- 17. 巧慧 (qiǎo huì)–Smart wise
- 18. 小丹 (xiǎo dān)–little dawn
- 19. 小慧 (xiǎo huì)–little wisdom
- 20. 玉明 (yù míng)–jade brightness
- 21. 诗云 (shī yún)–poem cloud
- 22. 美琪 (měi qí)–beautiful jade
- 23. 艺桐 (yì tóng)–art firmiana simplex
- 24. 若瑄 (ruò xuān)–tawny day-lily
- 25. 欣悦 (xīn yuè)–joyful
- 26. 妍雅 (yán yǎ)–beauty grace
- 27. 乐琪 (lè qí)–music jade
- 28. 思语 (sī yǔ)–think and speak
- 29. 晴怡 (qíng yí)–sunny joy
- 30. 怡然 (yí rán)–joy and bright
Popular Chinese Male/Boy Names
Traditional Chinese boys’ names are typically related to ‘strength’, ‘greatness’, ‘happiness’, ‘prosperity’, and ‘successes. In Chinese culture, males are considered stronger than females. Popular Chinese characters for boys’ names include：
- 1. 强(qiáng) – strength
- 2. 国(guó) – country
- 3. 安(ān) – security
- 4. 刚(gāng) – strong
- 5. 博(bó) – abundant
- 6. 文(wén) – literate
- 7. 超(chāo) – surpass
- 8. 成(chéng) – success
- 9. 豪(háo) – prosperous
- 10. 明(míng) – Bright
- 11. 伟(wěi) – greatness
- 12. 达(dá) – attainment
- 13. 德(dé) – virtue
- 13. 福(fú) – luck
- 14. 富(fù) – wealth
the top 10 most popular Chinese boy’s names right now are the following:
- 1. 奕辰 (Yìchén) – grand sun, moon
- 2. 宇轩 (Yǔxuān) – universe high
- 3. 浩宇 (Hàoyǔ)– vast universe
- 4. 亦辰 (Yìchén) – also universe
- 5. 宇辰 (Yǔchén) – universe, sun, moon
- 6. 子墨 (Zǐmò) – refined ink
- 7. 宇航 (Yǔháng) – universe cruise
- 8. 浩然 (Hàorán) – vastness
- 9. 梓豪 (Zǐháo) – catalpa tree heroic
- 10. 亦宸 (Yìchén) – also celestial abode
30 More Chinese Baby Boy Names to Inspire You
- 1. 明涛 (míng tāo) –bright large wave
- 2. 浩然 (hào rán) – vast
- 3. 俊杰 (jùn jié)– outstanding
- 4. 梓涵 (zǐ hán)– catalpa tree
- 5. 明哲 (huì fēn)– bright philosophy
- 6. 泽宏 (jiā lì)– paradigm vast
- 7. 嘉豪(jiā háo)–wonderful heroic
- 8. 梓睿 (zǐ ruì)– clever
- 9. 博文 (bó wén)–vast literate
- 11. 一铭 (yī míng)–one imprint
- 12. 俊德 (jùn dé)–handsome virtue
- 13. 皓宇 (hào yǔ)–bright universe
- 14. 浩洋 (hào yáng)–vast sea
- 15. 永乐 (yǒng lè)–forever happy
- 16. 宇泽 (yǔ zé)–universe paradigm
- 17. 家伟 (jiā wěi)–family great
- 18. 建豪 (xiǎo dān)–build greatness
- 19. 伟国 (wěi guó)–great country
- 20. 明煜 (míng yù)–bright shine
- 21. 子鑫 (zǐ xīn)–son prosperity
- 22. 石磊 (shí lěi)–stone rocks
- 23. 智鹏 (zhì péng)–a wise legendary bird
- 24. 子轩 (ruò xuān)–refined high
- 25. 沐阳 (mù yáng)–bathe the sun
- 26. 乐洋 (lè yáng)–happy sea
- 27. 博成 (bó chéng)–great success
- 28. 建宇 (jiàn yǔ)–build universe
- 29. 天阔 (tiān kuò)–vast sky
- 30. 东阳 (dōng yáng)–eastern sun
30 Gender-neutral Chinese baby names
- 1. 慧 (huì) – Clever
- 2. 安 (ān) – peace
- 3. 晨 (chén)– break of the day
- 4. 春 (chūn) – spring
- 5. 柳 (liǔ) – willow tree
- 6. 江 (jiāng) – river
- 7. 明 (míng) – brightness
- 8. 平 (píng) – peaceful, stable
- 9. 善 (shàn) – moderate
- 10. 翔 (xiáng) – flying like a bird
- 11. 恒 (héng) – eternal
- 12. 光 (guāng) – glorious
- 13. 欢 (huān) – happiness
- 14. 波 (bō) –wavelike
- 15. 秋 (qiū) – autumn
- 16. 宝 (bǎo) –treasure, gem
- 17. 林 (lín) – forest
- 18. 可 (xiáng) – able
- 19. 聪 (cōng) – clever
- 20. 灵 (líng) – smart
- 21. 文 (wén) – literate
- 22. 诺 (nuò) – promise
- 23. 新 (xīn) – new
- 24. 阳 (yáng) –sun
- 25. 鑫 (xīn) – wealth
- 26. 详 (xiáng) – peaceful
- 27. 英 (yīng) –flower, wise
- 28. 熙 (xī) – happy, bright
- 29. 晶 (jīng) – brightness
- 30. 畅 (chàng) – smooth
The Most Beautiful Chinese names
There are many beautiful Chinese names with good wishes and phonetic harmony. The Chinese characters are combined in a pleasing way and have beautiful meanings. Here are some of the most beautiful names:
- 映月 Yingyue:Girls’ names containing ‘moon’ have the cherished meanings of beauty and harmony. The name Yingyue means ‘reflection of the moon’.
- 芷若 Zhiruo:The Chinese characters 芷 and 若 are two herbal plants. In ancient China, many parents give their baby’s name by the name of herbal plants.
- 望舒 Wangshu:Wang means ‘hope’ and shu means ‘comfortable’.
- 莫愁 Mochou:Mochou means ‘free of sadness’.
Funny Chinese Names
Many Chinese characters have the same pronunciation but different meanings. When a family name and a given name combine, some of them can be very funny. For example, a man whose family name is 钱 (‘Money’) could have the full name 钱多 (Qian Duo — ‘Money Much’), which means ‘too much money’!!
Someone with the family name 周 (‘Week’ is one of several meanings for Zhou) could have the given name 末 (Mo — ‘end’), then his name would mean ‘weekend’!!
How to Choose Your Chinese Name
1. Choose a name that sounds similar to your English name.
For most people, choosing a common Chinese name that sounds similar to your English name is fine.For example, if yourname is Johnson, your Chinese name can be强生 Qiangsheng /chyang-shng/ or 约翰逊 Yuehansun /ywair-han-swn/.Using translation software might help to find a good name.
2.Pick a common or popular Chinese name!
It is an easy way to have a nice Chinese name. Check the above popular names.
3. Pick some characters you like, or you can write.
Pick the characters that are easy to read and write for yourself.
4. Ask your Chinese friends’ advice.
One of the best ways to choose a Chinese name is to ask your Chinese friends’ advice. They will be more familiar with the Chinese characters’ meanings and suitability.
FAQs
What is a unisex Chinese name? ›
Gender-Neutral Chinese Baby Names
Huan: This gender-neutral Chinese baby name means “happiness.” Lian: Traditionally a feminine name, this Chinese name can be used for modern boys or girls. Lian means “graceful willow.” Tai: It's a “great extreme” and can be used as a gender-neutral Chinese baby name.
Unlike the West, (where names are often chosen based on whether the parents happen to 'like' the name), in China, names carry important social and philosophical meanings and are typically chosen for their inferences and symbolism.
Can I choose my own Chinese name? ›To choose a Chinese name for yourself, first start with your surname. You will most likely want to choose from one of the 100 most common Chinese surnames, which actually make up 87% of the population. Usually you would want to choose a surname that sounds similar to your own last name.
Do Chinese have 2 names? ›Modern Chinese names consist of a monosymbolic (single-symbol) surname (xìngshì ; 姓氏), which comes first, followed by a given name (míng ; 名), which is almost always disyllabic, consisting of two characters.
Why do Chinese have 3 names? ›Until the mid-1900s in China, a person usually had three names besides his or her surname: ming, zi and hao. Ming is the name given by parents; Zi is the name granted to a person at the beginning of adulthood – men usually at the age of 20 and women at 15.
What Chinese name means Rose? ›Qiang is a Chinese baby name meaning 'strong' or rose'.
What does Xiao Hu mean? ›His ID xiaohu (小虎) means "Little Tiger".
What is lucky name in Chinese? ›13. 福(fú) – luck.
What is the cutest Chinese name? ›- Ah Kum: Meaning “good as gold”. ♀️
- Chun Hua: Meaning “grace of spring”. ♀️
- Hong: Meaning “wild swan”. ♂️
- Hua: Meaning “flower”. ...
- Jaw-Long: Meaning “like a dragon”. ...
- Li: Mean “pretty”. ...
- Lian: Meaning “the graceful willow”. ...
- Mingxia: Meaning “bright glowing dawn clouds”.
Wang Lei means 'Monarch' or 'King'.
What Chinese name means love? ›
Ai. Ai is a Chinese name meaning “love and affection.” Ai is very popular in China and Japan.
Is Kai a Chinese name? ›In fact, "Kai" is the transliteration of several different Chinese surnames. Its meaning varies depending on how it is spelled in Chinese, and which dialect it is pronounced in.
What are the 100 surnames in China? ›- 李 Lǐ
- 王 Wáng.
- 张 Zhāng.
- 刘 Liú
- 陈 Chén.
- 杨 Yáng.
- 赵 Zhào.
- 黄 Huáng.
Many Chinese celebrities have English names so people choose the same name that their favorite singer or actor uses. Other people choose the names of American movie stars or even a character they play. Some people choose a name from their favorite book, either the author's or the main character's name.
What is your name I Chinese? ›In Chinese, we use the following question to ask someone's full name. 你叫什么名字？ (Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?) What's your name?
Do Chinese use American names? ›Western names are widely used by Chinese-speaking people, in addition to their Chinese names, even though they are not used for official identification. These names might be chosen by either teachers or parents, and sometimes even by one's own self.
How long is a Chinese name? ›To conclude, most family names are 1 character long, and most given names are 2 characters long, so the average length of a Chinese name is 3 characters.
Why do Chinese say last name first? ›Traditionally, Chinese given names are structured by a two-character pattern. The first part is the generation name that is shared by all members of a generation, and the last character is given to the individual person. The reason Chinese people write their surname first is to show respect to the ancestors.
How do I make my Chinese name? ›- Start with Your Last Name. ...
- Choose the Length of Your Name. ...
- Get Creative and Abstract. ...
- Put the Last Name and First Name Together. ...
- Always Use a Chinese Dictionary. ...
- Come up with a Few Name Ideas and Test them All Out. ...
- 6.5 Additional Step.
Chinese names for China, aside from Zhongguo, include Zhōnghuá (中華/中华, "central beauty"), Huáxià (華夏/华夏, "beautiful grandness"), Shénzhōu (神州, "divine state") and Jiǔzhōu (九州, "nine states").
Do Chinese go by their last name? ›
The Chinese will state their last name first, followed by the given name (may be one or two syllables). For example, Liu Jianguo, in Chinese would be Mr. Jianguo Liu using the Western style. Never call someone by only his or her last name.
What does 11 roses mean in Chinese? ›11 Roses ['I love you with all my heart'] 我爱你一心一意
What does 77 rose mean? ›77 Roses – signifying 'faith' this number says that the person you are gifting 77 roses to is your soulmate. 88 Roses – choose 88 rose stems to communicate an apology that you owe to someone.
What does 999 rose means? ›This enormous and jaw-dropping beautiful arrangement of 999 Red Roses symbolizes Your Love Will Last Forever. The perfect proposal flower, anniversary flower and professing your love to your one true love. 999 roses.
Is Hu Tao shipped with Xiao? ›HuXiao is the het ship between Xiao and Hu Tao from the Genshin Impact fandom.
What does Chao Xiao mean? ›cháo xiào. to jeer at to deride to ridicule mockery derision. Example Usage.
What does Xiao Lu mean? ›销路 Trad. 銷路 xiāo lù sale market state of the market sales event.
Are most Chinese names unisex? ›Many Chinese names are gender neutral. That being said, if a name is gender specific it is much more likely to be a female name.
Is there a gender-neutral pronoun in Chinese? ›Non-Binary Pronouns in Contemporary Chinese
The Transgender Resource Center in Hong Kong advocates using “TA,” also pronounced “tā,” as the non-binary pronoun in Mandarin Chinese. The origin of “TA” as a gender-neutral pronoun is rather obscure.
Xia is a gender-neutral name of Chinese and Greek origin meaning “glow of sunrise,” “welcoming,” or “hospitable.” In Mandarin, Xia is a surname meaning “glow of sunrise” featured in Hundred Family Surnames—a text composed of 507 common Chinese surnames during the Song dynasty.
What is a common unisex name? ›
Noah, Charlie and James came out as the top three favourites, followed by Max, Logan, Ruby and Evelyn. Other, more unfamiliar names that made the list include Arlo, Mason and Harper.