Chinese Names Explained // Structure, Meanings & Top Picks

Chinese names follow a surname-first structure: family name (1 character, usually) comes first, followed by a given name (typically 2 characters).

For example, in Jackie Chan’s Chinese name 成龙 (Chéng Lóng), 成 (Chéng) is the family name and 龙 (Lóng) is the given name.

Every character carries deliberate meaning, often chosen for auspiciousness, balance with the Chinese zodiac and five elements, or family tradition.

Intimidated and confused when it comes to reading and understanding Chinese Names? No idea where to start? You’ve come to exactly the right place.

Within 10 minutes you’ll be able to:

• Understand the story behind Chinese Names
• How to pick your own Chinese Name or better still…
• Generate your own Chinese name in seconds!
• Discover the most popular Chinese surnames
• Find out some popular boys and girls names in Chinese, or browse our quick-reference samples below

Popular Chinese Boy Names

Popular Chinese Girl Names

For the full lists, head to our dedicated Chinese boy names and Chinese girl names pages.

Chinese Names || What’s the Story

Chinese Names || What do they Mean?

Chinese Names || Changing your Name after Marriage

Chinese Names || How to Pick Your Chinese Name

Chinese Names || Chinese Boy Names

Chinese Names || Chinese Girl Names

Chinese Names || FAQs

Chinese names are unique, and sometimes a little odd sounding to a foreigner.

This is why Chinese people often have both a Chinese name and an English name. They will choose their English name themselves, or have it chosen for them at school. 

Choosing your own name? Sounds like fun, right? See below for tips on how you can choose your own Chinese name for when you come to China!

Or even better, try it yourself right now.

Get your free Chinese name 🎉

Just enter your name and our generator will suggest a Chinese name based on sound and meaning. It takes about 10 seconds.

💡 TIP: The generator works best with one name at a time. Enter your first name for the most accurate result.

When you first see a Chinese name, it’s very easy to glance at Chinese and think…

“that’s way too complex for me”

but WAIT…!

Most expats in China struggle to memorise Chinese names.

I struggle with remembering English names too, but that’s a separate issue.

They are too long and complex to pronounce. In Hollywood movies, we see and hear of actors with names like Jackie Chan and Jet Li.

Their names are pretty and easy to remember.

But only a few people know their real names. Do you know their real names?

Jackie Chan is not his real Chinese Name?! Nope

Jackie Chan and Jet Li are actually called are Chéng Lóng (成龙) and Lǐ Liánjié (李连杰).

Being a Hollywood star or a famous businessman like Jack Ma (Chinese name Mǎ Yún 马云) requires a more westernised name.

Jack Ma (for those of you who don’t know) is the co-founder and executive chairman of the Alibaba Group.

Usually, I would ask a local Chinese person if they have an English (international) name. Some do and some don’t!

It has become more popular in recent times for Chinese people to keep their Chinese names – and foreigners just have to deal with trying to remember them. I mean, that’s pretty fair to be honest.

Especially since Chinese names carry such importance and weight in their meanings. 

Here’s the deal

Chinese names hold strong meaning and parents spend real time on these. The meanings are very deliberate.

Children are named after attributes like fire, or qualities such as loyalty, instead of the nicest sounding name.

But meaning is only one part of the equation. Many Chinese families also consider:

• The Chinese zodiac (生肖, shēngxiào): A child born in the Year of the Dragon 🐉 might receive a name reinforcing strength or auspiciousness to complement that energy.
• The five elements (五行, wǔxíng): Wood (木), Fire (火), Earth (土), Metal (金), and Water (水). A fortune teller or naming specialist may advise which element a child ‘lacks’ based on their birth date and time, and parents choose characters associated with that element.
• Character stroke count (笔画, bǐhuà): Some families consult numerology-based systems where the total number of strokes in a name is considered lucky or unlucky.
• Sound and tone balance: A name that flows well tonally, mixing rising, falling, and neutral tones, is preferred over one that feels awkward to say.

Want to understand how Chinese characters are built? Our guide to Chinese characters and their meaning breaks it down step by step.

And pronunciation can vary depending on the region. If you’re living in Shanghai, you might start to notice how names sound slightly different in the local dialect. It’s a subtle but fascinating part of daily life, and Learning Shanghainese can help you pick up on those nuances more naturally

Chinese names are in fact, as long and esteemed as Chinese Culture itself. Naming in China is a serious and time-consuming process, just as in every country.

But only in China and some other Asian countries, there is a Name Culture.

Let’s try to figure it out…

Chinese Names – What’s The Story?

First of all, when Chinese people say their name, first they say the Family name, then Given name so if we take Jackie Chan (Chéng Lóng) as an example – Cheng is his last name, Long is given a name.

Basically flip your name backwards and you have the structure of a Chinese name.

Chinese family names take first place because they are more valuable.

You carry your family name proudly and pass it to next generations.

The family name usually consists of one (or rarely two/three) characters and the given name is usually two characters.

Family names have been in Chinese culture way before our era, but back then only privileged people had a family name. Common people did not.

Today, Chinese surnames are remarkably concentrated. The top three alone are shared by roughly 270 million people:

💡 TIP: If you meet someone with the surname 王 (Wáng), you’re meeting one of roughly 100 million people who share it. Context matters, so using the full name (surname + given name) avoids confusion in any formal setting.

It was only many years later that all Chinese people had family names. Much like many popular English names such as Smith, family names would have been issued according to their occupation. 

In China, the name you’re known by can change at each stage of life. Here’s how it typically works:

Stage 1 — Birth: 小名 (xiǎomíng), the ‘little name’

Given at birth and used in early childhood, usually within the family. Often affectionate or playful in character.

Stage 2 — School enrolment: 学名 (xuémíng), the ‘school name’

The official registered name used in education. This is usually the full formal name on all documents.

Stage 3 — Adulthood: 大名 (dàmíng) or simply 名 (míng), the ‘big name’

The name used in adult life, by colleagues, acquaintances, and in formal contexts.

Aliases (号, hào): Some people also adopt a personal alias, particularly in creative, literary, or business contexts. Think of it as a self-chosen nickname with a little more gravitas.

Chinese Names and Generation Names (辈分)

One tradition that surprises most foreigners is the concept of 辈分 (bèifen), or generation names.

In many Chinese families, especially those with deep roots in a specific region, each generation shares a specific character in their given name. This shared character signals which generation of the family a person belongs to.

For example, in a family where the generation poem includes the character 明 (Míng), all children of that generation might have 明 as the first character of their given name: 明伟 (Míng Wěi), 明珠 (Míng Zhū), 明志 (Míng Zhì).

The sequence of generation characters is often recorded in a family genealogy book (家谱, jiāpǔ). Some families have generation poems stretching back 20 or more generations.

💡 TIP: If you meet two Chinese people with the same first character in their given name and the same surname, there’s a real chance they’re from the same family generation. Worth asking about!

Courtesy Names in Chinese History (字 zì)

Before modern times, educated Chinese men received a second name at adulthood, their 字 (zì), or courtesy name.

This was given at a coming-of-age ceremony (usually around 20 years old) and was the name used by peers and friends as a sign of respect. Using someone’s birth name (名, míng) directly was considered overly familiar or even rude among equals.

The great poet Li Bai (李白, Lǐ Bái), for example, had the courtesy name 太白 (Tài Bái, meaning ‘Grand White’). Confucius (孔子, Kǒng Zǐ) had the courtesy name 仲尼 (Zhòng Ní).

Courtesy names fell out of common use in the 20th century, but they remain a fascinating window into how seriously Chinese culture has always treated the act of naming.

Chinese Proverbs || 21 of our Favourites (with Bonus Proverb Quiz)

Chinese Proverbs (or Idioms) and sayings (谚语 yànyŭ in Chinese) are a great way to expand your Chinese vocabulary when you’re learning mandarin.

Chinese Names – What Do They Mean? 

Chinese names always have meanings and its always something good and pleasant. Girl’s names normally have a Chinese name that relates to beauty, flowers, or pureness. Boys Chinese names are usually connected with power and bravery. 

However, a long time ago it was believed that giving your child a name with a bad meaning could hold off evil spirits. 

This lead to some interesting name choices:

Gou Sheng (dog’s leftover) and Te Dan (iron egg) are two examples!

Another interesting tradition includes parents going to visit a witch or seer upon the birth of the baby. Here, they would ask the seer or witch what kind of destiny is intended for their child.

If there was a risk of some kind of threat to the child’s life or health, parents gave the name with the opposite meaning of the threat.

If the child’s destiny said that the child will suffer from fire, the child would be given a name connected with water.

The tradition of giving a “little name” is still popular nowadays and using an alias is very popular among celebrities. The “little name” usually sounds like their given name, just a little bit modified.

For example, if the child’s full name is Ma Yang, the little name will be Yang-Yang.

Chinese Names: What to Avoid

Just as important as choosing the right characters is knowing what to avoid. Chinese naming taboos are taken seriously.

Sharing a name with an elder in the family (避讳, bìhuì): Traditionally, using the same characters as a grandparent or older relative is considered disrespectful. This practice of ‘name taboo’ dates back thousands of years.

Homophones with negative words: Because Chinese is tonal, a name that sounds similar to a word meaning death (死, sǐ), illness, or bad luck is avoided. For example, characters pronounced ‘sǐ’ or ‘bìng’ (病, illness) would never appear in a name.

Characters associated with historical tragedies or negative figures: Names linked to famous villains or catastrophic events carry cultural weight and are quietly avoided.

Overly common or ‘boring’ combinations: Parents increasingly avoid names like 张伟 (Zhāng Wěi) or 王芳 (Wáng Fāng), which were so popular in previous decades that schools routinely had multiple students with identical names. The trend now favours more literary or distinctive characters.

💡 TIP: Some parents hire professional name consultants (yes, that’s a real job) to check a proposed name for unlucky tones, stroke counts, or inauspicious meanings before registering it officially.

Chinese Names – Changing Your Name After Marriage?

Changing the last name after marriage is common practice all over the world.

Except for in China.

What do they do instead?

Sometimes, girls keep their original Family name, or they can combine it with their husband’s Family name.

The children have to take fathers’ family name regardless.

This is largely due to the importance held on Chinese names since they can tell us a lot about the person.

For example, the given name and family name can also give the information about a person’s origin a long time ago.

The name Huang Helou (黄鹤楼) is a feminine name given after one famous tower called Yellow Crane in Wuhan, a city in Hubei province.

How to Address Chinese People Correctly

Knowing the name structure is one thing. Knowing how to actually use it in conversation is where most foreigners trip up. 🤔

In formal settings, use the surname + a title:

• 王老师 (Wáng lǎoshī), Teacher Wang
• 张经理 (Zhāng jīnglǐ), Manager Zhang
• 李先生 (Lǐ xiānsheng), Mr Li
• 刘女士 (Liú nǚshì), Ms Liu

In informal or friendly settings, you’ll often hear:

• 小 (Xiǎo) + surname for someone younger than you: 小王 (Xiǎo Wáng)
• 老 (Lǎo) + surname for someone older or more senior: 老张 (Lǎo Zhāng)

Using given names is reserved for close friends and family. Jumping straight to a colleague’s given name without being invited to do so can feel overly familiar.

First names are not used in business contexts unless your Chinese counterpart explicitly uses their English name. When in doubt, surname + title is always the safe and respectful choice.

Understanding Chinese names is just the start. If you want to feel genuinely at home in conversations, knowing when to say 老张 vs 张先生, or how to introduce yourself with a Chinese name that locals will remember, immersive study gets you there faster than anything else.

Find your perfect Mandarin program and start building that fluency.

Did you know…

FUN FACT || in the whole of China, 85% of the population share the same 100 last names.

In total there are about 12,000 last names.

The most famous are – Li (李), Wang (王), Zhang (张).

From all 12,000 last names about 5000 consist of 1 character and the rest consist of 2 to 8 characters.

And there is one last name in China that consists of 9 characters.

Chinese people value their names and family names very much.

A good example of Chinese people expressing the important of ‘name culture’ happened at Columbia University in New York, the USA.

Young people from China spoke out against xenophobia towards their original names and created a video that was spread all over the internet.

It has thousands views on YouTube.

The video called “Say my name” encourages people to respect Chinese names and Chinese culture.

Chinese culture is one of the oldest and richest in the world and naming is a part of it as in every Chinese person’s life their name carry the part of their National Culture.

What is a Very Chinese Name?

If you want a name that is unmistakably, quintessentially Chinese, look for combinations of these highly traditional surnames and given names:

• 张伟 (Zhāng Wěi), so common it became a cultural joke. Zhang is the third most common surname; Wei means ‘great’.
• 王芳 (Wáng Fāng), Wang is China’s most common surname; Fang means ‘fragrant’ or ‘virtuous’.
• 李明 (Lǐ Míng), Li is the second most common surname; Ming means ‘bright’.

These names are so prevalent that they’re the Chinese equivalent of ‘John Smith’ or ‘Jane Doe’. If you’re looking for something more distinctive, Chinese parents today increasingly turn to classical poetry and literature for inspiration, which brings us to the question of how names are actually chosen. 👇

5 Ideas To Help You Pick Your Chinese Name

Choose a name that sounds similar to yours.

This doesn’t work for all names, and make sure to check with your Chinese friends or teacher before settling with a character purely based on the sound!

Choose one of the name translations.

There are many standard name translations in Chinese for typical English names. For example, Amy is usually 艾美 ài měi, and David is usually 大卫 dà wèi.

Pick yourself a common Chinese name! 

Here are the most common Chinese names in China.

• Wang (王)
• Li (李)
• Zhang (张)
• Liu (刘)
• Chen (陈)
• Yang (杨)
• Huang (黄)
• Zhao (赵)
• Wu (吴)
• Zhou (周)

Pick some characters you like, or you can write (!)

It’s important that you can at least read your name, but better if you can write it too! Don’t pick characters that are too difficult.

Ask your Chinese friend or teacher. 

The least fun, but the most fool-proof method when choosing your Chinese name.

BONUS || LTL student and marketing whizz Hannah wrote an article about how she picked her Chinese name and enlisted help from her closest friends in Taiwan.

See the end result here.

Pronouncing Chinese Names: A Quick Guide

Chinese names in pinyin look approachable on paper, but the tones make all the difference. Getting a tone wrong doesn’t just sound slightly off, it can change the meaning entirely.

Here are the four tones you’ll encounter in names:

• 1st tone (ˉ): High and flat. 王 Wáng is a first tone, hold the pitch steady and high.
• 2nd tone (ˊ): Rising, like asking a question.
• 3rd tone (ˇ): Dips down then rises. 李 Lǐ, let your voice fall then come back up.
• 4th tone (ˋ): Sharp and falling. 赵 Zhào, short and decisive.

Names with multiple characters string these tones together, which is why even short two-character names take practice.

💡 TIP: Don’t panic if your tones aren’t perfect from day one. Chinese speakers will usually understand from context. But making the effort shows genuine respect, and locals notice. Want to sharpen your tones? Practice your Chinese pronunciation with our free tool.

Gender-Neutral Chinese Names

Not all Chinese names are clearly male or female. Some characters are genuinely gender-neutral and appear equally in names for boys and girls.

Common gender-neutral characters include:

In practice, the full combination of characters usually signals gender more than any single character alone. A name like 晨曦 (Chén Xī, morning glow) leans feminine in contemporary usage, while 晨阳 (Chén Yáng, morning sun) leans masculine, even though 晨 itself is neutral.

Want to explore further? Our Chinese girl names and Chinese boy names pages have curated lists with characters, pinyin, and meanings.

Chinese Boy Names

Here are five favourite or typical Chinese boy names:

Chinese Girl Names

Here are five favourite or typical Chinese girl names:

Do you have a Chinese name? If so, tell us below. Or do you want us to help you with your very first Chinese name?

If you are keen on coming to China we recommend you check this video out. Mr LTL himself, Andreas, our founder, tells you the best places to learn Chinese in China (in his humble opinion)

BONUS || Ever thought about getting your own Korean name too? Check out our name generator and get yours now

Chinese Names || FAQs