Chinese Names: Family Names, Given Names and Meanings
Chinese names are short, but they contain a lot of meaning. The family name comes first, the given name follows, and each character can carry a wish, a value or a picture.
This guide explains how Chinese names are structured, which surnames are most common, how given names are chosen and how romanization changes the spelling.
Family Name First
In Chinese, the family name comes first and the given name second. A person called Wang Wei has the family name Wang and the given name Wei. Family names are usually one character, though a few, such as Ouyang and Sima, have two. In English writing the order is sometimes reversed, so it helps to state which order you use.
A Small Number of Common Surnames
Compared with many countries, China has a small set of very common surnames. Wang, Li and Zhang are usually listed as the three most common, followed by Liu, Chen, Yang, Huang, Zhao, Wu and Zhou. An old text from the Song dynasty, the Hundred Family Surnames, lists more than four hundred names, and even today the phrase “old hundred names” is used to mean ordinary people.
How Given Names Are Chosen
Given names have one or two characters, and parents choose them for meaning and sound. Boys’ names often express strength, talent or ambition, such as Wei (great), Jun (talented) and Hao (vast). Girls’ names often suggest beauty, grace or nature, such as Mei (beautiful), Ling (delicate), Yue (moon) and Xin (heart). Parents also consider tones, homophones and how the name looks when written.
Generation Names
In some families all children or cousins of one generation share a character in their given names, called a generation name. A grandfather may have chosen a poem, and each generation takes the next character. This practice is less common in cities today, but it still exists in many families and clans.
Marriage and Titles
Women in China generally keep their own family names after marriage. People are addressed by family name plus a title, such as Wang Laoshi (Teacher Wang) or Li Jingli (Manager Li). Using a full name is common in formal writing, while friends may use a shortened or affectionate form.
Romanization
Names are written in the Latin alphabet in several ways. Pinyin is the standard system in mainland China, so 王 is Wang and 李 is Li. Hong Kong, Taiwan and overseas communities often use other systems based on Cantonese or older spellings, which is why Chan and Chen, Lee and Li, and Wong and Wang can be the same family name. Choose one system and stay consistent.
Chinese Names in Stories and Software
If you write a character, choose a family name that fits the region and a given name that fits the age and personality. Our Chinese Name Generator creates names in either order. In software, use separate family name and given name fields and let users choose the order. For more ideas, read how to name a fictional character.
The Order of Chinese Names
Chinese names place the family name first, followed by the given name. In the name Wang Wei, Wang is the family name and Wei is the given name. The family name is usually one character, while the given name is often one or two characters chosen for meaning, sound or family tradition.
When Chinese names are written in Western order, the family name moves to the end, which can cause confusion in databases. Storing family name and given name in separate fields prevents mistakes.
Common Chinese Surnames and Naming Ideas
A relatively small set of surnames covers a huge part of the population. Wang, Li and Zhang are among the most common in the world. Given names often reflect hopes for the child, such as strength, beauty, wisdom or nature imagery.
Pronunciation differs between Mandarin and Cantonese, and the same characters can be romanized differently. That is why one family name may appear as Wong, Huang or Wang in different places.
Writing Chinese Names Correctly
When you write about a Chinese person, keep the family name first unless the person has adopted a Western order. Use the pinyin spelling that the person prefers, and do not split a two-syllable given name into two words unless that is their own style.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which comes first in a Chinese name?
The family name comes first, then the given name.
What is the most common Chinese surname?
Wang, Li and Zhang are usually listed as the top three, with the exact order depending on the source.
Do Chinese women change their names after marriage?
Generally no. Women usually keep their own family names.
Why are there different spellings of the same surname?
Different romanization systems and dialects spell the same characters in different ways.
Final Thoughts
Chinese names combine a small set of family names with an endless variety of given names. If you understand their order, meanings and spellings, you can write, use and respect them correctly.
