Chinese Baby Names, Meanings and Naming Structure
Chinese names are written and spoken with the family name first and the given name second, the reverse of English order, a point confirmed by sources like Columbia University’s Asia for Educators program. A given name is usually one or two characters, and because Chinese is written in characters rather than an alphabet, the same sound can be written with different characters carrying entirely different meanings, so a name’s real meaning always depends on which characters were actually chosen for it.
How Chinese names are structured
A full Chinese name is the family name (surname) followed by the given name, for example Li Wei, where Li is the surname and Wei is the given name. Chinese naming does not use a Western-style middle name; instead, the given name itself is often two characters that work together as a single unit. It is also common for a married woman in China to keep her own birth surname rather than take her husband’s, unlike the Western convention.
Chinese names for girls
- Mei (from a character meaning beautiful)
- Xiu (from a character meaning elegant or refined)
- Fang (from a character meaning fragrant)
- Ling (commonly read as meaning clever or delicate, though the sound can also be written with a character referring to jade chimes)
- Hui (commonly read as meaning wise or kind, depending on the character used)
- Yan (commonly read as meaning gorgeous, though the same sound can also be written with a character meaning swallow, the bird)
- Jing (commonly read as meaning quiet and gentle, though the same sound can also be written with a character meaning clear crystal)
- Lan (from a character meaning orchid)
- Na (from a character meaning elegant or graceful)
- Ting (from a character meaning pretty or graceful)
- Xue (from a character meaning snow)
- Yu (from a character meaning jade)
- Zhen (from a character meaning precious or rare)
- Chun (from a character meaning spring, the season)
- Hong (from a character meaning red)
- Juan (from a character meaning beautiful or graceful)
- Shu (from a character meaning good, pure, or virtuous)
- Ya (from a character meaning elegant or refined)
- Yue (commonly read as meaning moon, though the same sound can also be written with a character meaning “to surpass”)
- Xin (commonly read as meaning fresh or new, though the same sound can also be written with a character meaning happy)
Browse girl names by letter
Namelyra’s general girl-name pages, if a specific letter doesn’t have Chinese names covered here:
Chinese names for boys
- Ming (from a character meaning bright)
- Wei (commonly read as meaning great or mighty, though the same sound can also be written with a character meaning to guard or protect)
- Jun (commonly read as meaning handsome, though the same sound can also be written with a character meaning military)
- Hao (commonly read as meaning vast or heroic, depending on the character used)
- Qiang (from a character meaning strong)
- Feng (commonly read as meaning peak, though the same sound can also be written with a character meaning wind)
- Jian (commonly read as meaning strong and healthy, though the same sound can also be written with a character meaning “build, establish”)
- Kai (from a character meaning triumph or victory)
- Long (from a character meaning dragon)
- Tao (from a character meaning large waves)
- Zhi (commonly read as meaning will or ambition, though the same sound can also be written with a character meaning wisdom)
- Gang (from a character meaning hard, rigid, or strong)
- Yong (commonly read as meaning brave, though the same sound can also be written with a character meaning perpetual or eternal)
- Chen (commonly read as meaning dawn or morning)
- Guo (from a character meaning country)
- Han (from a character meaning writing, also referring to the Han Chinese people)
- Jie (from a character meaning heroic or outstanding)
- Dong (from a character meaning east)
- Bo (from a character meaning wave)
- Peng (commonly read as meaning friend, though the same sound can also be written with a character meaning vigorous)
Browse boy names by letter
Namelyra’s general boy-name pages, if a specific letter doesn’t have Chinese names covered here:
Chinese surnames
According to the Asia Media Centre, the three most common family names in mainland China, Li, Wang, and Zhang, are shared by more than 270 million people. Because surnames in China come from a relatively small, well-established set passed down through generations, a handful of names cover an unusually large share of the population compared with many Western naming systems.
- Li (from a character meaning plum tree, and the single most common surname in mainland China)
- Wang (from a character meaning king)
- Zhang (from a character meaning to stretch or draw a bow)
- Liu (a long-established surname among the most common in mainland China)
- Chen (a long-established surname especially common in southern China)
- Yang (from a character associated with a type of poplar tree)
Surname romanization also depends on which Chinese language or dialect is being transliterated. The same family name can look different in English depending on whether it was romanized from Mandarin or from Cantonese; for example, the surname written as Chen in Mandarin pinyin is commonly written as Chan in Cantonese romanization, and Wang in Mandarin is commonly written as Wong in Cantonese.
Quick facts
| Name order | Family name (surname) first, given name second |
| Given name length | Usually one or two characters |
| Most common surnames | Li, Wang, and Zhang together cover more than 270 million people |
| Middle names | Not used in the Western sense; the given name itself often carries two characters instead |
Frequently asked questions
Are Chinese names written with the last name first?
Yes. In China, the family name comes first and the given name comes second, the opposite of typical English name order.
What is the most common Chinese last name?
Li is generally cited as the most common surname in mainland China, with Li, Wang, and Zhang together shared by more than 270 million people.
Do Chinese names have middle names?
Not in the Western sense. Chinese given names are usually one or two characters used together as a single given name, rather than a separate first and middle name.
Do Chinese women take their husband’s last name?
Traditionally and still commonly today, no. Many married women in China keep their own birth surname rather than adopting their husband’s.
Why does the same Chinese name sometimes have different meanings?
Chinese is written in characters, not an alphabet, so a single spoken sound can correspond to several different characters, each with its own distinct meaning. A name’s real meaning depends on the specific character it was written with, not just how it sounds.