Chinese personal names follow a family-name-first order. Most surnames are single syllables written with one character, with a smaller set of historical compound surnames such as Ouyang and Situ. Given names are typically one or two characters; two-character given names are most common in mainland China today. Characters are selected for semantic content and favorable associations, and tones are relevant in speech though not shown in standard pinyin. Romanization varies by region and system, producing differences such as Zhang/Chang or Chen/Chan.
Traditional practices include a generation name, in which siblings or patrilineal cousins share one character drawn from a family poem. Given names often draw on concrete themes such as nature, brightness, virtue, learning, and auspicious concepts, and many include gender-coded morphemes (for example, Jun “talented” or Wei “great” for boys; Mei “beautiful” or Hua “flower” for girls). Parents avoid characters with negative homophones. Recent trends include revived use of rare characters, more single-character given names, and occasional English names used informally alongside the Chinese name.
| Name | Meaning | Origins | Gender | Popularity (last 10y) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kai | Cross-cultural name variously meaning 'sea' or 'ocean' (Hawaiian, Japanese), 'food' (Māori), and often 'victory' or 'open/beginning' in Chinese. | Chinese, Cornish, Hawaiian, Japanese, Scandinavian, Welsh | Unisex | 45,847 #1 | |
| Bo | Originally 'dweller' or 'resident' (Old Norse); also associated with 'handsome' (from French beau); in Chinese the meaning varies by character (e.g., 波 'wave', 博 'abundant/learned', 伯 'elder'); sometimes short for Boaz ('swiftness/strength'). | Chinese, English, French, Hebrew, Norse | Unisex | 5,197 #2 | |
| Lee | From Old English leah 'clearing, meadow'; in Chinese (李) means 'plum'. | Chinese, English, Korean | Unisex | 3,592 #3 | |
| Ren | Commonly 'lotus' in Japanese (蓮); 'reborn' from French René (Latin renatus); can also reflect Chinese characters meaning 'benevolence' (仁) or 'appoint/trust' (任). | Chinese, English, French, Japanese, Latin | Unisex | 1,848 #4 | |
| Tao | Way; pottery; waves; peach | Chinese, Vietnamese | Boy | 1,845 #5 | |
| Cai | Multiple origins: linked to the Latin name Caius/Gaius (historically associated with 'rejoice'); as Chinese 蔡 (Cài) it is a surname from an ancient state rather than a lexical meaning. | Chinese, Latin, Welsh | Boy | 975 #6 | |
| Mei | Varies by language and character. Chinese: 美 (měi) = 'beautiful'; 梅 (méi) = 'plum' or 'plum blossom' (other characters yield different senses). Japanese: meaning depends on kanji (e.g., 芽 'bud/sprout', 明 'bright', 依 'rely'), so often interpreted as 'bud', 'bright', or related combinations. In English contexts often associated with the month 'May'. | Chinese, Japanese | Girl | 915 #7 | |
| Jia | Depends on character/origin - in Chinese commonly 'good', 'beautiful', 'excellent' or 'home/family' (characters like 佳, 嘉, 家). In other usages it may be treated as a variant of Gia ('God is gracious') or of Jiya ('heart; life'). | Chinese | Girl | 844 #8 | |
| Sai | In Indian usage: 'divine' or 'holy' (also used as an honorific associated with Sai Baba). In Japanese/Chinese the meaning depends on the characters used (e.g., 'talent', 'color', 'west', 'competition'). | Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Sanskrit | Unisex | 735 #9 | |
| Luan | Albanian: "lion"; Vietnamese (Luân/Luận): related to "discussion/theory" or a syllabic given name; Portuguese/Brazilian: modern given name usage (often influenced by other traditions); Chinese: surname meanings depend on the character (e.g., 栾, 鸾). | Albanian, Brazilian, Chinese, Portuguese, Vietnamese | Boy | 710 #10 | |
| Zian | Possible meanings: 'beauty/adornment' (from Arabic Zayn), or 'peaceful child/child of peace' (as the Chinese romanization Zi'an, e.g., 子安). | Arabic, Chinese | Unisex | 616 #11 | |
| Tai | Great, extreme | Chinese | Boy | 615 #12 | |
| An | Peace; safety; sky | Chinese, Sumerian, Vietnamese | Boy | 549 #13 | |
| Mao | {'Japanese': "Varies by kanji; common senses include 'true center' (真央), 'dance/center' (舞央), 'jasmine center' (茉央). Generally a feminine name with delicate/positive connotations.", 'Chinese': "As a surname (毛) meaning 'hair/fur'. As a given name it can be written with different characters conveying meanings such as 'flourishing/luxuriant' (茂), 'reed/thatched grass' (茅), or 'exemplary/esteemed' (懋).", 'Vietnamese': "Mão denotes the Rabbit in the Vietnamese zodiac (the earthly branch 'Mão')."} | Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese | Girl | 535 #14 | |
| Mulan | Magnolia; literally 'wood orchid' (木兰); associated with the legendary heroine Hua Mulan | Chinese | Girl | 471 #15 | |
| Jun | Varies by language and character. Japanese kanji commonly mean 'pure' or 'innocent' (純, 淳) but can also mean 'order' (順) or 'moisture/enrich' (潤). In Korean and Chinese the meaning depends on the hanja/character (common senses include 'talented/beautiful' 俊, 'ruler/gentleman' 君, 'army' 軍). In English Jun is often a short form of June or Juniper. | Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean | Unisex | 449 #16 | |
| Kam | Varies by origin - commonly a short form whose meanings include 'sweet' or 'gold' (Chinese), 'perfection' (from Kamal), or 'work' (Indic root). | Arabic, Cantonese, Chinese, English, Punjabi, Scottish | Boy | 447 #17 | |
| Jin | Varies by language and character; common meanings include 'gold', 'truth', 'precious/treasure', 'benevolence', 'swift'. | Chinese, Japanese, Korean | Unisex | 428 #18 | |
| Yan | Beautiful | Belarusian, Chinese, Greek, Hebrew | Girl | 425 #19 | |
| Rui | Portuguese: short form of Rodrigo/Roderick meaning 'famous ruler'. Japanese: meaning varies by kanji. Chinese: meaning depends on character (e.g., 瑞 'auspicious'). | Chinese, Galician, Germanic, Japanese, Portuguese | Boy | 377 #20 | |
| Minh | Bright; clear | Chinese, Vietnamese | Boy | 365 #21 | |
| Han | Varies by origin - Chinese/Korean: linked to the Han clan or Han (漢) as an ethnic/historical term; Western: short form of Johannes/Hans meaning 'God is gracious'. | Chinese, Dutch, English, German, Korean, Scandinavian | Boy | 351 #22 | |
| Xia | Varies by Chinese character - commonly 夏 meaning "summer" or 霞 meaning "rosy clouds/dawn glow" (also associated with the historic Xia dynasty). | Chinese | Unisex | 275 #23 | |
| Chi | Varies by culture - Vietnamese: often 'branch' or 'older sister' (and as Chí can mean 'will/ambition'); Chinese: depends on character (e.g., 池 'pool', 赤 'red') and as 'chi/qi' can mean life energy; Igbo: 'God' or a personal spiritual guardian. | Chinese, Igbo, Vietnamese | Unisex | 255 #24 | |
| Tian | Depends on the Chinese character: 天 (Tiān) 'heaven/sky' (most common association); 田 (Tián) 'field'; 甜 (Tián) 'sweet'; 添 (Tiān) 'to add'. | Chinese | Unisex | 232 #25 | |
| Jian | Varies by Chinese character: 建 'establish/build'; 健 'healthy/strong'; 剑/劍 'sword'; 简/簡 'simple/brief'. | Chinese | Boy | 229 #26 | |
| Yi | Righteousness; propriety | Chinese | Boy | 215 #27 | |
| Kimiko | Noble child | Chinese, Japanese | Girl | 202 #28 | |
| Yida | Typically composed from characters like 怡/义/艺 (yi: joyful, righteous, artful) + 达 (da: reach/attain) - often interpreted as 'one who attains greatness' or 'joyful achiever'. | Chinese | Unisex | 198 #29 | |
| Mimi | An affectionate diminutive or pet name with no single etymological meaning; commonly used as a nickname for names such as Maria, Miriam, Emilia/Emily, or Michelle. | Chinese, English, French, Germanic, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Latin, Spanish | Girl | 196 #30 | |
| Kailin | Irish: 'slender, fair'; as a Chinese transliteration (凯琳): 'victorious' + 'beautiful/precious' | Chinese, English, Irish | Girl | 188 #31 | |
| Xian | Varies by character; commonly 'virtuous' (贤), 'first' (先), or 'immortal/fairy' (仙). | Chinese | Unisex | 153 #32 | |
| Lean | Varies by origin: from Vietnamese Liên meaning 'lotus'; from English the common word 'lean' (thin, to incline); or as a romanization of Chinese Lian, which can carry meanings such as 'lotus', 'connect', or 'honest' depending on the character. | Chinese, English, Irish, Scottish, Vietnamese | Unisex | 147 #33 | |
| Deng | {'Dinka': 'rain', 'Chinese': 'surname originating from an ancient place/fief (no single-word modern meaning)'} | Chinese | Boy | 140 #34 | |
| Chai | Varies by language - Hebrew: "alive"/"life"; Thai/Sanskrit-derived: "victory"; Chinese: a surname (柴). | Chinese, Sanskrit, Thai | Unisex | 138 #35 | |
| Mang | Awn; grain bristle | Chinese | Boy | 138 #36 | |
| Dali | Name of a Georgian goddess of the hunt - a huntress and protector of wild hoofed animals. | Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, Georgian, Hebrew, Spanish | Girl | 136 #37 | |
| Kaige | From Chinese 凯歌: 'victory song'. As a modern English name, generally treated as an invented name with no single traditional meaning. | Chinese, English | Unisex | 123 #38 | |
| Yian | If deriving from Ian/Ioannis: "God is gracious." If Chinese (Yi'an): meaning varies with the characters (e.g., combinations can mean concepts like "righteous peace" or "joyful peace"). | Chinese, English, Greek, Scottish | Boy | 118 #39 | |
| Shun | Fast; talented | Chinese, Japanese | Boy | 116 #40 | |
| Yuan | Varies by Chinese character; commonly 'origin', 'source', 'beginning' (e.g. 元, 源) or other meanings like 'garden' (园). | Chinese | Unisex | 115 #41 | |
| Lin | From Chinese 林 meaning "forest"; in English contexts often a short form of names meaning "beautiful" or "tender" | Chinese | Unisex | 109 #42 | |
| Man | Meaning varies by origin: from Sanskrit root meaning 'mind/heart'; from Chinese characters with senses such as 'literature/culture' (文), 'ten thousand' (万) or 'full/satisfied' (满); also used as a short form of names like Manuel. | Cantonese, Chinese, English, Sanskrit, Vietnamese | Boy | 100 #43 | |
| Long | Dragon | Chinese, English, Vietnamese | Boy | 91 #44 | |
| Yue | Moon; surpass | Chinese | Girl | 89 #45 | |
| Nio | Varies by origin - in Japanese linked to the Niō guardian figures (characters like 仁 'benevolence' + 王 'king'); in Southern African contexts aligns with Neo meaning 'gift'; also used as a surname or short form in other languages. | Chinese, Japanese | Unisex | 86 #46 | |
| Xi | Varies by Chinese character; commonly 'west' (西), 'joy' (喜), 'seat' (席), or 'to practice/learn' (习/習). | Chinese | Unisex | 85 #47 | |
| Jolin | Varies by origin - in English usage often interpreted as 'little Jo' (Jo from Joanna/Joanne meaning 'God is gracious'); in Chinese the meaning depends on the characters used (commonly elements like 'forest', 'beautiful', or other character-specific meanings). | Chinese, English, Swedish | Girl | 78 #48 | |
| Ruan | From Irish 'Rúan' meaning 'little red one' or 'red-haired'; also appears as the Chinese surname 阮 (distinct origin). | Brazilian, Chinese, Irish, Portuguese | Boy | 72 #49 | |
| Chan | Meanings vary by language: Cantonese form of the surname Chen; in Khmer/Thai derived from Sanskrit for 'moon'; in Vietnamese 'Chân' means 'true/real'; in Korean as a name syllable it can mean 'bright', 'praise', etc., depending on the hanja chosen. | Chinese, Khmer, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese | Unisex | 67 #50 |
Aggregated births across United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany for every Chinese-origin name in our dataset.
