Chinese names & surnames with meanings: A complete guide
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Ready to meet new people and introduce yourself in Chinese? Then let’s talk about Western and Chinese names in Mandarin!
Learning Mandarin is a little bit different than learning other languages. If you’re learning Spanish or French, then you probably won’t have to think twice about how to introduce yourself in your target language — you’d simply use your given name.
However, names are significantly different in Chinese, so some learners choose to adopt a Chinese name to use when speaking Chinese. That means that you’d be giving yourself a whole new name, which may sound similar to your given name or may be completely different. This can be an exciting opportunity to adopt a new persona, as learning a new language definitely impacts your personality!
But don’t worry, you don’t need to rush into making any major decisions if you’re just starting to learn Mandarin Chinese. You can start with a simple transliteration of your name and pick a more legitimate Chinese name once you feel ready to do so.
In this handy guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about Western names in Chinese, and we’ll show you how to choose your own Chinese name!
Table of contents
- Introducing and asking for names in Chinese
- Learning how to translate a Western name into Chinese
- Top 100 most common male English names in Chinese
- Top 100 most common female English names in Chinese
- Most common Spanish names in Chinese
- Most common French names in Chinese
- Most common German names in Chinese
- Most common Italian names in Chinese
- Most common Portuguese names in Chinese
- Most common celebrity names in Chinese
- Understanding the basics of Chinese names
- How to pronounce Chinese names
- How to choose a Chinese name
- FAQs about Chinese names
- Conclusion
Introducing and asking for names in Chinese
Learning how to introduce yourself in Chinese is one of the first things you’ll want to master. Not only does “my name is” typically come right after saying hello in Chinese, but it’s also an important part of writing emails and doing business in China. Plus, as a learner, you’ll often be in situations where you’ll have to introduce yourself in Chinese, like at the start of the semester or when you visit China to travel, study, or work.
Chinese name essentials
Let’s start by covering the absolute essentials. Chinese names usually consist of a family name followed by a given name, with the family name being mostly just one character and the given name one or two characters. Unlike in the West, a name often holds precedence and is a key part of one’s identity. Chinese names are chosen with careful consideration to convey specific qualities or blessings that families wish upon their children, as names come with deep meanings and aspirations.
When introducing yourself or asking for someone’s name, it’s crucial to recognize the structure and significance of Chinese names. The cultural emphasis on respect and formality means addressing someone properly is extremely important.
How to say first name in Chinese
The first name in Chinese, or given name, is referred to as 名 (míng).
The order of the names is reversed in Chinese, so people would typically mention their first name after stating their family or last names. While introducing yourself by your full name may be seen as cold or formal in the West, that is generally not the case in Chinese, as introducing yourself with your given and family name is very common. However, in more casual contexts, particularly among friends or younger people, introducing yourself with just your given name is acceptable too.
How to say last name in Chinese
The last name in Chinese, or the family name, is called 姓 (xìng).
It holds particular importance in Chinese society, as it often carries the weight of familial heritage and lineage. It precedes the given name in the Chinese naming convention. Because of this, asking for someone’s family name during a formal introduction is especially important, as it highlights respect for one’s family background and heritage. In less formal situations, this level of detail might not be necessary, but it’s always better to err on the side of formality when unsure.
My name is in Chinese
Although introducing yourself in a new language can be stressful the first few times, you’ll have no problem once you learn a handful of phrases to say my name is in Chinese. The good news is that most of your basic characteristics, like your name, nationality, and Chinese zodiac sign won’t change at all, so you can just memorize a few of them and be set!
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Pronunciation | Formality |
| Hello, I am called ______. | 你好，我叫______。 | nǐ hǎo ， wǒ jiào ______。 | nii hao woo jiaw | Informal |
| My name is ______. | 我的名字是______。 | wǒ de míng zi shì ______。 | woo de ming tzyh shyh | Neutral |
| Hello everyone, my name is called ______. | 大家好，我的名字叫______。 | dà jiā hǎo ， wǒ de míng zi jiào ______。 | dah jia hao woo de ming tzyh jiaw | Informal |
| Hello, my surname is ______, and my given name is ______. | 您好，我姓______，名______。 | nín hǎo ， wǒ xìng ______， míng ______。 | nin hao woo shinq ming | Formal |
| Hello everyone, I am called ______. | 大家好，我叫______。 | dà jiā hǎo ， wǒ jiào ______。 | dah jia hao woo jiaw | Informal |
| I myself am named ______. | 本人名叫______。 | běn rén míng jiào ______。 | been ren ming jiaw | Formal |
| Hello everyone, I am called ______. | 各位好，我叫______。 | gè wèi hǎo ， wǒ jiào ______。 | geh wey hao woo jiaw | Formal |
| Please allow me to introduce myself, I am called ______. | 请允许我自我介绍一下，我叫______。 | qǐng yǔn xǔ wǒ zì wǒ jiè shào yí xià ， wǒ jiào ______。 | chiing yeun sheu woo tzyh woo jieh shaw yi shiah woo jiaw | Formal |
| My Chinese name is ______. | 我的中文名是______。 | wǒ de zhōng wén míng shì ______。 | woo de jong wen ming shyh | Neutral |
| My English name is ______. | 我的英文名是______。 | wǒ de yīng wén míng shì ______。 | woo de ing wen ming shyh | Neutral |
| My full name is ______. | 我的全名是______。 | wǒ de quán míng shì ______。 | woo de chyuan ming shyh | Neutral |
| Hello everyone, you can call me ______. | 大家好，你们可以叫我______。 | dà jiā hǎo ， nǐ men kě yǐ jiào wǒ ______。 | dah jia hao nii mhen kee yii jiaw woo | Informal |
| My nickname is ______. | 我的昵称是______。 | wǒ de nì chēng shì ______。 | woo de nih cheng shyh | Informal |
| Pleased to meet you, my name is ______. | 幸会，我叫______。 | xìng huì ， wǒ jiào ______。 | shinq huey woo jiaw | Formal |
| Hello there, you can call me ______. | 你好，可以叫我______。 | nǐ hǎo ， kě yǐ jiào wǒ ______。 | nii hao kee yii jiaw woo | Informal |
| Let me introduce myself to everyone, I am called ______. | 向大家介绍一下，我叫______。 | xiàng dà jiā jiè shào yí xià ， wǒ jiào ______。 | shianq dah jia jieh shaw i shiah woo jiaw | Neutral |
What is your name in Chinese
Besides learning how to introduce yourself in Chinese, you’ll also want to learn how to ask people for their names. Not only will this allow you to be polite after someone asks for your name in Chinese, but you’ll also be able to make the first move and meet new people! After all, making friends and practicing constantly is one of the best ways to learn Chinese, so don’t be shy!
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Pronunciation | Formality |
| What's your name? | 你叫什么名字？ | nǐ jiào shén me míng zi ？ | nii jiaw shern me ming tzyh | Informal |
| What is your honorable surname? | 您贵姓？ | nín guì xìng ？ | nin guey shinq | Formal |
| May I ask, how should I address you? | 请问您怎么称呼？ | qǐng wèn nín zěn me chēng hu ？ | chiing wenn nin tzeen me cheng hu | Formal |
| What is your full name? | 你的全名是什么？ | nǐ de quán míng shì shén me ？ | nii de chyuan ming shyh shern me | Neutral |
| Can you tell me your name? | 能告诉我你的名字吗？ | néng gào sù wǒ nǐ de míng zi ma ？ | neng gaw suh woo nii de ming tzyh mha | Informal |
| What are you called? | 你叫什么？ | nǐ jiào shén me ？ | nii jiaw shern me | Very informal |
| Your name is? | 您的姓名是？ | nín de xìng míng shì ？ | nin de shinq ming shyh | Formal |
| How may I address you? | 您怎么称呼？ | nín zěn me chēng hu ？ | nin tzeen me cheng hu | Formal |
| How should I address this gentleman/lady? | 怎么称呼这位先生/女士？ | zěn me chēng hu zhè wèi xiān sheng/ nǚ shì ？ | tzeen me cheng hu jeh wey shian sheng neu shyh | Formal |
| May I ask what your nickname is? | 请问你的小名是什么？ | qǐng wèn nǐ de xiǎo míng shì shén me ？ | chiing wenn nii de sheau ming shyh shern me | Informal |
| Hello, may I ask what your name is? | 你好，可以问一下你叫什么吗？ | nǐ hǎo ， kě yǐ wèn yí xià nǐ jiào shén me ma ？ | nii hao kee yii wenn i shiah nii jiaw shern me mha | Informal |
| How should I properly address you? | 我怎样称呼您比较合适？ | wǒ zěn yàng chēng hu nín bǐ jiào hé shì ？ | woo tzeen yanq cheng hu nin bii jiaw her shyh | Formal |
| I heard you are ______, so what is your full name? | 听说您叫______，那您的全名是？ | tīng shuō nín jiào ______， nà nín de quán míng shì ？ | ting shuo nin jiaw nah nin de chyuan ming shyh | Neutral to formal |
Learning how to translate a Western name into Chinese
Now that you know how to say your name in Chinese, you might be wondering, “Wait, how do I say my name in Chinese?” Fortunately, you can easily translate your name into Chinese by finding characters that sound similar to your given name. To do this, you have three options:
- Find characters that are phonetic matches to your name’s syllables.
- Plug your name into Google Translate to get a quick translation!
- Find your name in one of our lists below.
Almost all foreign names have a “set” translation into Chinese, which is helpful when speaking about foreign people or fictional characters in Chinese. For example, Leonardo DiCaprio is 莱昂纳多 · 迪卡普里奥 (lái áng nà duō · dí kǎ pǔ lǐ ào) and Harry Potter is 哈利·波特 (hā lì · bō tè).
However, keep in mind that translating names like this into Chinese doesn’t really match local names. It’ll be very evident that it’s a foreign name, so keep this in mind if you’re thinking about choosing your Chinese name. We’ll cover how to pick an authentic Chinese name later in the article, but, for now, let’s dive into our lists of the most common foreign names in Chinese!
Top 100 most common male English names in Chinese
If you have a relatively common English name, then you’ll likely be able to find a direct “translation” into Chinese. You can use one of these if you’ll just be visiting China for a little while or don’t have any long-term plans in China or interacting with Chinese society. If you do plan to live in China or work with Chinese colleagues long-term, however, you can consider creating your own Chinese name from scratch, but more on that later.
Here are the 100 most common male English names in Chinese:
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Pronunciation |
| Aaron | 亚伦 | yà lún | yah luen |
| Adam | 亚当 | yà dāng | yah dang |
| Alan | 阿伦 | ā lún | a luen |
| Albert | 阿尔伯特 | ā ěr bó tè | a eel bor teh |
| Alexander | 亚历山大 | yà lì shān dà | yah lih shan dah |
| Andrew | 安德鲁 | ān dé lǔ | an der luu |
| Anthony | 安东尼 | ān dōng ní | an dong ni |
| Arthur | 亚瑟 | yà sè | yah seh |
| Austin | 奥斯汀 | ào sī tīng | aw sy ting |
| Benjamin | 本杰明 | běn jié míng | been jye ming |
| Billy | 比利 | bǐ lì | bii lih |
| Bobby | 博比 | bó bǐ | bor bii |
| Brandon | 布兰登 | bù lán dēng | buh lan deng |
| Brian | 布莱恩 | bù lái ēn | buh lai en |
| Bruce | 布鲁斯 | bù lǔ sī | buh luu sy |
| Bryan | 布莱恩 | bù lái ēn | buh lai en |
| Carl | 卡尔 | kǎ ěr | kaa eel |
| Charles | 查尔斯 | chá ěr sī | char eel sy |
| Christian | 克里斯蒂安 | kè lǐ sī dì ān | keh lii sy dih an |
| Christopher | 克里斯托弗 | kè lǐ sī tuō fú | keh lii sy tuo fwu |
| Daniel | 丹尼尔 | dān ní ěr | dan ni eel |
| David | 大卫 | dà wèi | dah wey |
| Dennis | 丹尼斯 | dān ní sī | dan ni sy |
| Donald | 唐纳德 | táng nà dé | tarng nah der |
| Douglas | 道格拉斯 | dào gé lā sī | daw ger lha sy |
| Dylan | 迪伦 | dí lún | dyi luen |
| Edward | 爱德华 | ài dé huá | ay der hwa |
| Elijah | 伊利亚 | yī lì yà | i lih yah |
| Eric | 埃里克 | āi lǐ kè | ai lii keh |
| Ethan | 伊桑 | yī sāng | i sang |
| Eugene | 尤金 | yóu jīn | you jin |
| Frank | 弗兰克 | fú lán kè | fwu lan keh |
| Gabriel | 加布里埃尔 | jiā bù lǐ āi ěr | jia buh lii ai eel |
| Gary | 加里 | jiā lǐ | jia lii |
| George | 乔治 | qiáo zhì | chyau jyh |
| Gerald | 杰拉德 | jié lā dé | jye lha der |
| Gregory | 格里高利 | gé lǐ gāo lì | ger lii gau lih |
| Harold | 哈罗德 | hā luó dé | ha luo der |
| Henry | 亨利 | hēng lì | heng lih |
| Jack | 杰克 | jié kè | jye keh |
| Jacob | 雅各布 | yǎ gè bù | yea geh buh |
| James | 詹姆斯 | zhān mǔ sī | jan muu sy |
| Jason | 杰森 | jié sēn | jye sen |
| Jeffrey | 杰弗里 | jié fú lǐ | jye fwu lii |
| Jeremy | 杰里米 | jié lǐ mǐ | jye lii mii |
| Jerry | 杰瑞 | jié ruì | jye ruey |
| Jesse | 杰西 | jié xī | jye shi |
| Joe | 乔 | qiáo | chyau |
| John | 约翰 | yuē hàn | iue hann |
| Johnny | 约翰尼 | yuē hàn ní | iue hann ni |
| Jonathan | 乔纳森 | qiáo nà sēn | chyau nah sen |
| Jordan | 乔丹 | qiáo dān | chyau dan |
| Jose | 约瑟 | yuē sè | iue seh |
| Joseph | 约瑟夫 | yuē sè fū | iue seh fu |
| Joshua | 约书亚 | yuē shū yà | iue shu yah |
| Juan | 胡安 | hú ān | hwu an |
| Justin | 贾斯汀 | jiǎ sī tīng | jea sy ting |
| Keith | 凯斯 | kǎi sī | kae sy |
| Kenneth | 肯尼斯 | kěn ní sī | keen ni sy |
| Kevin | 凯文 | kǎi wén | kae wen |
| Kyle | 凯尔 | kǎi ěr | kae eel |
| Larry | 拉里 | lā lǐ | lha lii |
| Lawrence | 劳伦斯 | láo lún sī | lau luen sy |
| Logan | 罗根 | luó gēn | luo gen |
| Louis | 路易斯 | lù yì sī | luh yih sy |
| Mark | 马克 | mǎ kè | maa keh |
| Matthew | 马修 | mǎ xiū | maa shiou |
| Michael | 迈克尔 | mài kè ěr | may keh eel |
| Nathan | 内森 | nèi sēn | ney sen |
| Nicolas | 尼古拉斯 | ní gǔ lā sī | ni guu lha sy |
| Noah | 诺亚 | nuò yà | nuoh yah |
| Patrick | 帕特里克 | pà tè lǐ kè | pah teh lii keh |
| Paul | 保罗 | bǎo luó | bao luo |
| Peter | 彼得 | bǐ dé | bii der |
| Philip | 菲利普 | fēi lì pǔ | fei lih puu |
| Ralph | 拉尔夫 | lā ěr fū | lha eel fu |
| Randy | 兰迪 | lán dí | lan dyi |
| Raymond | 雷蒙德 | léi méng dé | lei meng der |
| Richard | 理查德 | lǐ chá dé | lii char der |
| Robert | 罗伯特 | luó bó tè | luo bor teh |
| Roger | 罗杰 | luó jié | luo jye |
| Ronald | 罗纳德 | luó nà dé | luo nah der |
| Roy | 罗伊 | luó yī | luo i |
| Russel | 罗素 | luó sù | luo suh |
| Ryan | 瑞恩 | ruì ēn | ruey en |
| Samuel | 塞缪尔 | sài miù ěr | say miow eel |
| Scott | 斯科特 | sī kē tè | sy ke teh |
| Sean | 肖恩 | xiāo ēn | shiau en |
| Stephen | 史蒂芬 | shǐ dì fēn | shyy dih fen |
| Steven | 史蒂文 | shǐ dì wén | shyy dih wen |
| Terry | 特里 | tè lǐ | teh lii |
| Thomas | 托马斯 | tuō mǎ sī | tuo maa sy |
| Timothy | 蒂莫西 | dì mò xī | dih moh shi |
| Tyler | 泰勒 | tài lè | tay leh |
| Vincent | 文森特 | wén sēn tè | wen sen teh |
| Walter | 沃尔特 | wò ěr tè | woh eel teh |
| Wayne | 韦恩 | wéi ēn | wei en |
| William | 威廉 | wēi lián | uei lian |
| Willie | 威利 | wēi lì | uei lih |
| Zachary | 扎克瑞 | zhā kè ruì | ja keh ruey |
Top 100 most common female English names in Chinese
And here are the most common female English names in Chinese:
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Pronunciation |
| Abigail | 阿比盖尔 | ā bǐ gài ěr | a bii gay eel |
| Alexis | 亚历克西斯 | yà lì kè xī sī | yah lih keh shi sy |
| Alice | 爱丽丝 | ài lì sī | ay lih sy |
| Amanda | 阿曼达 | ā màn dá | a mann dar |
| Amber | 安伯尔 | ān bó ěr | an bor eel |
| Amy | 艾米 | ài mǐ | ay mii |
| Andrea | 安德莉亚 | ān dé lì yà | an der lih yah |
| Angela | 安吉拉 | ān jí lā | an jyi lha |
| Ann | 安 | ān | an |
| Anna | 安娜 | ān nà | an nah |
| Ashley | 阿什莉 | ā shí lì | a shyr lih |
| Barbara | 芭芭拉 | bā bā lā | ba ba lha |
| Betty | 贝蒂 | bèi dì | bey dih |
| Beverly | 贝弗莉 | bèi fú lì | bey fwu lih |
| Brenda | 布兰达 | bù lán dá | buh lan dar |
| Brittany | 布里特妮 | bù lǐ tè nī | buh lii teh nhi |
| Carol | 卡萝尔 | kǎ luó ěr | kaa luo eel |
| Carolyn | 卡洛琳 | kǎ luò lín | kaa luoh lin |
| Catherine | 凯瑟琳 | kǎi sè lín | kae seh lin |
| Charlotte | 夏洛特 | xià luò tè | shiah luoh teh |
| Cheryl | 谢丽尔 | xiè lì ěr | shieh lih eel |
| Christina | 克里斯蒂娜 | kè lǐ sī dì nà | keh lii sy dih nah |
| Cynthia | 辛西娅 | xīn xī yà | shin shi yah |
| Danielle | 丹妮尔 | dān nī ěr | dan nhi eel |
| Deborah | 黛博拉 | dài bó lā | day bor lha |
| Delia | 迪莉娅 | dí lì yà | dyi lih yah |
| Denise | 丹妮丝 | dān nī sī | dan nhi sy |
| Diana | 戴安娜 | dài ān nà | day an nah |
| Donna | 唐娜 | táng nà | tarng nah |
| Dora | 朵拉 | duǒ lā | duo lha |
| Doris | 多丽丝 | duō lì sī | duo lih sy |
| Dorothy | 多萝西 | duō luó xī | duo luo shi |
| Elizabeth | 伊丽莎白 | yī lì shā bái | i lih sha bair |
| Emily | 艾米莉 | ài mǐ lì | ay mii lih |
| Emma | 艾玛 | ài mǎ | ay maa |
| Evelyn | 伊芙琳 | yī fú lín | i fwu lin |
| Frances | 弗朗西丝 | fú lǎng xī sī | fwu laang shi sy |
| Gloria | 格罗丽娅 | gé luó lì yà | ger luo lih yah |
| Grace | 格雷丝 | gé léi sī | ger leei sy |
| Hannah | 汉娜 | hàn nà | hann nah |
| Heather | 希瑟 | xī sè | shi seh |
| Helen | 海伦 | hǎi lún | hae luen |
| Isabella | 伊莎贝拉 | yī shā bèi lā | i sha bey lha |
| Jacqueline | 杰奎琳 | jié kuí lín | jye kwei lin |
| Janet | 珍妮特 | zhēn nī tè | jen nhi teh |
| Janice | 珍妮丝 | zhēn nī sī | jen nhi sy |
| Jean | 珍 | zhēn | jen |
| Jennifer | 詹妮弗 | zhēn nī fú | jen nhi fwu |
| Jessica | 杰西卡 | jié xī kǎ | jye shi kaa |
| Joan | 琼 | qióng | chyong |
| Joyce | 乔伊斯 | qiáo yī sī | chyau i sy |
| Judith | 朱迪思 | zhū dí sī | ju dyi sy |
| Judy | 朱迪 | zhū dí | ju dyi |
| Julia | 茱莉亚 | zhū lì yà | ju lih yah |
| Julie | 朱莉 | zhū lì | ju lih |
| Karen | 凯伦 | kǎi lún | kae luen |
| Katherine | 凯瑟琳 | kǎi sè lín | kae seh lin |
| Kayla | 凯拉 | kǎi lā | kae lha |
| Kelly | 凯丽 | kǎi lì | kae lih |
| Kennedy | 肯尼迪 | kěn ní dí | keen ni dyi |
| Kimberly | 金伯莉 | jīn bó lì | jin bor lih |
| Laura | 劳拉 | láo lā | lau lha |
| Lauren | 劳伦 | láo lún | lau luen |
| Leighton | 莱顿 | lái dùn | lai duenn |
| Linda | 琳达 | lín dá | lin dar |
| Lisa | 丽莎 | lì shā | lih sha |
| Madison | 麦迪逊 | mài dí xùn | may dyi shiunn |
| Maggie | 玛吉 | mǎ jí | maa jyi |
| Margaret | 玛格丽特 | mǎ gé lì tè | maa ger lih teh |
| Maria | 玛丽亚 | mǎ lì yà | maa lih yah |
| Marie | 玛丽 | mǎ lì | maa lih |
| Marilyn | 玛丽莲 | mǎ lì lián | maa lih lian |
| Martha | 玛莎 | mǎ shā | maa sha |
| Mary | 玛丽 | mǎ lì | maa lih |
| Megan | 梅根 | méi gēn | mei gen |
| Melissa | 梅丽莎 | méi lì shā | mei lih sha |
| Michelle | 米歇尔 | mǐ xiē ěr | mii shie eel |
| Nancy | 南希 | nán xī | nan shi |
| Natalie | 娜塔莉 | nà tǎ lì | nah taa lih |
| Nicole | 妮可 | nī kě | nhi kee |
| Olivia | 奥利维亚 | ào lì wéi yà | aw lih wei yah |
| Pamela | 帕梅拉 | pà méi lā | pah mei lha |
| Patricia | 帕特里西娅 | pà tè lǐ xī yà | pah teh lii shi yah |
| Rachel | 瑞秋 | ruì qiū | lruey chiou |
| Rebecca | 丽贝卡 | lì bèi kǎ | lih bey kaa |
| Rose | 露丝 | lù sī | lih bey kaa |
| Ruth | 露丝 | lù sī | luh sy |
| Samantha | 萨曼莎 | sà màn shā | sah mann sha |
| Sandy | 桑迪 | sāng dí | sang dyi |
| Sandra | 桑德拉 | sāng dé lā | sang der lha |
| Sara | 莎拉 | shā lā | sha lha |
| Sharon | 莎伦 | shā lún | sha luen |
| Shirley | 雪莉 | xuě lì | sheue lih |
| Sophia | 索菲亚 | suǒ fēi yà | suoo fei yah |
| Stephanie | 史黛芙妮 | shǐ dài fú nī | shyy day fwu nhi |
| Susan | 苏珊 | sū shān | su shan |
| Taylor | 泰勒 | tài lè | tay leh |
| Tate | 泰特 | tài tè | tay teh |
| Teresa | 特蕾莎 | tè lěi shā | teh leei sha |
| Victoria | 维多利亚 | wéi duō lì yà | wei duo lih yah |
| Virginia | 弗吉尼亚 | fú jí ní yà | fwu jyi ni yah |
Here, you’ll find a cozy list of the 100 most common Spanish names translated into Chinese, maintaining their unique charm and sounding just right in both languages:
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Pronunciation |
| Abril | 阿布里尔 | ā bù lǐ ěr | a buh lii eel |
| Alejandro | 亚历杭德罗 | yà lì háng dé luó | yah lih harng der luo |
| Alexander | 亚历山大 | yà lì shān dà | yah lih shan dah |
| Benjamín | 本杰明 | běn jié míng | been jye ming |
| Camila | 卡米拉 | kǎ mǐ lā | kaa mii lha |
| Carlos | 卡洛斯 | kǎ luò sī | kaa luoh sy |
| Catalina | 卡塔琳娜 | kǎ tǎ lín nà | kaa taa lin nah |
| Daniel | 丹尼尔 | dān ní ěr | dan ni eel |
| Daniella | 丹妮埃拉 | dān nī āi lā | dan nhi ai lha |
| Diego | 迭戈 | dié gē | dye ge |
| Emmanuel | 埃曼努埃尔 | āi màn nǔ āi ěr | ai mann nuu ai eel |
| Fernanda | 费尔南达 | fèi ěr nán dá | fey eel nan dar |
| Gabriela | 加布里埃拉 | jiā bù lǐ āi lā | jia buh lii ai lha |
| Isabella | 伊莎贝拉 | yī shā bèi lā | i sha bey lha |
| Jesús | 赫苏斯 | hè sū sī | heh su sy |
| Joaquín | 华金 | huá jīn | hwa jin |
| Jorge | 豪尔赫 | háo ěr hè | haur eel heh |
| José | 何塞 | hé sài | her sai |
| Juan | 胡安 | hú ān | hwu an |
| Julieta | 茱莉塔 | zhū lì tǎ | ju lih taa |
| Lucas | 卢卡斯 | lú kǎ sī | lu kaa sy |
| Lucía | 露西亚 | lù xī yà | luh shi yah |
| Luciana | 露西安娜 | lù xī ān nà | luh shi an nah |
| Luis | 路易斯 | lù yì sī | luh yih sy |
| Manuel | 曼努埃尔 | màn nǔ āi ěr | mann nuu ai eel |
| María Fernanda | 玛丽亚·费尔南达 | mǎ lì yà · fèi ěr nán dá | maa lih yah · fey eel nan dar |
| María José | 玛丽亚·何塞 | mǎ lì yà · hé sài | maa lih yah · her sai |
| Mariana | 玛丽安娜 | mǎ lì ān nà | maa lih an nah |
| Martín | 马丁 | mǎ dīng | maa ding |
| Martina | 玛蒂娜 | mǎ dì nà | maa dih nah |
| Mateo | 马特奥 | mǎ tè ào | maa teh aw |
| Matías | 马蒂亚斯 | mǎ dì yà sī | maa dih yah sy |
| Mía | 米亚 | mǐ yà | mii yah |
| Natalia | 娜塔莉亚 | nà tǎ lì yà | nah taa lih yah |
| Nicolás | 尼古拉斯 | ní gǔ lā sī | ni guu lha sy |
| Nicole | 妮可 | nī kě | nhi kee |
| Pablo | 巴勃罗 | bā bó luó | ba bor luo |
| Paula | 宝拉 | bǎo lā | bao lha |
| Pedro | 佩德罗 | pèi dé luó | pey der luo |
| Samantha | 萨曼莎 | sà màn shā | sah mann sha |
| Samuel | 塞缪尔 | sài miù ěr | say miow eel |
| Santiago | 圣地亚哥 | shèng dì yà gē | shenq dih yah ge |
| Sara | 莎拉 | shā lā | sha lha |
| Sebastián | 塞巴斯蒂安 | sài bā sī dì ān | say ba sy dih an |
| Sofía | 索菲亚 | suǒ fēi yà | suoo fei yah |
| Tomás | 托马斯 | tuō mǎ sī | tuo maa sy |
| Valentina | 瓦伦蒂娜 | wǎ lún dì nà | waa luen dih nah |
| Valeria | 瓦莱里娅 | wǎ lái lǐ yà | waa lai lii yah |
| Victoria | 维多利亚 | wéi duō lì yà | wei duo lih yah |
| Ximena | 西梅娜 | xī méi nà | shi mei nah |
Most common French names in Chinese
Let’s take a look at how some of the most popular French names translate into Chinese. The following list aims to maintain the essence of French names while adapting them to Chinese phonetics:
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Pronunciation |
| Alain | 阿兰 | ā lán | a lan |
| Andre | 安德烈 | ān dé liè | an der lieh |
| Anne | 安妮 | ān nī | an nhi |
| Bernard | 伯纳德 | bó nà dé | bor nah der |
| Bruno | 布鲁诺 | bù lǔ nuò | buh luu nuoh |
| Catherine | 凯瑟琳 | kǎi sè lín | kae seh lin |
| Christian | 克里斯蒂安 | kè lǐ sī dì ān | keh lii sy dih an |
| Christine | 克里斯蒂娜 | kè lǐ sī dì nà | keh lii sy dih nah |
| Christophe | 克里斯托弗 | kè lǐ sī tuō fú | keh lii sy tuo fwu |
| Claude | 克劳德 | kè láo dé | keh lau der |
| Daniel | 丹尼尔 | dān ní ěr | dan ni eel |
| David | 大卫 | dà wèi | dah wey |
| Didier | 迪迪埃 | dí dí āi | dyi dyi ai |
| Dominique | 多米尼克 | duō mǐ ní kè | duo mii ni keh |
| Eric | 埃里克 | āi lǐ kè | ai lii keh |
| Francis | 弗朗西斯 | fú lǎng xī sī | fwu laang shi sy |
| Georges | 乔治 | qiáo zhì | chyau jyh |
| Guy | 盖伊 | gài yī | gay i |
| Isabelle | 伊莎贝尔 | yī shā bèi ěr | i sha bey eel |
| Jacqueline | 杰奎琳 | jié kuí lín | jye kwei lin |
| Jacques | 雅克 | yǎ kè | yea keh |
| Jean | 让 | ràng | ranq |
| Jean-Claude | 让·克劳德 | ràng · kè láo dé | ranq · kè láo dé |
| Jean-Pierre | 让·皮埃尔 | ràng · pí āi ěr | ranq · pyi ai eel |
| Joseph | 约瑟夫 | yuē sè fū | iue seh fu |
| Laurent | 劳伦特 | láo lún tè | lau luen teh |
| Marc | 马克 | mǎ kè | maa keh |
| Marcel | 马塞尔 | mǎ sài ěr | maa say eel |
| Marie | 玛丽 | mǎ lì | maa lih |
| Martine | 玛蒂娜 | mǎ dì nà | maa dih nah |
| Michel | 米歇尔 | mǐ xiē ěr | mii shie eel |
| Monique | 莫妮克 | mò nī kè | moh nhi keh |
| Nathalie | 娜塔莉 | nà tǎ lì | nah taa lih |
| Nicolas | 尼古拉斯 | ní gǔ lā sī | ni guu lha sy |
| Nicole | 妮可 | nī kě | nhi kee |
| Olivier | 奥利维尔 | ào lì wéi ěr | aw lih wei eel |
| Pascal | 帕斯卡 | pà sī kǎ | pah sy kaa |
| Patrick | 帕特里克 | pà tè lǐ kè | pah teh lii keh |
| Philippe | 菲利普 | fēi lì pǔ | fei lih puu |
| Pierre | 皮埃尔 | pí āi ěr | pyi ai eel |
| Rene | 雷内 | léi nèi | lei ney |
| Robert | 罗伯特 | luó bó tè | luo bor teh |
| Roger | 罗杰 | luó jié | luo jye |
| Sandrine | 桑德琳 | sāng dé lín | sang der lin |
| Serge | 塞尔吉 | sài ěr jí | say eel jyi |
| Sophie | 索菲 | suǒ fēi | suoo fei |
| Sylvie | 西尔维 | xī ěr wéi | shi eel wei |
| Thierry | 蒂埃里 | dì āi lǐ | dih ai lii |
| Valerie | 瓦莱丽 | wǎ lái lì | waa lai lih |
| Yves | 伊夫 | yī fū | i fu |
Most common German names in Chinese
Below, you’ll find a list of the top 100 most common German names translated into Chinese, focused on maintaining phonetic resemblance:
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Pronunciation |
| Andrea | 安德莉亚 | ān dé lì yà | an der lih yah |
| Andreas | 安德烈亚斯 | ān dé liè yà sī | an der lieh yah sy |
| Barbara | 芭芭拉 | bā bā lā | ba ba lha |
| Bernd | 伯恩德 | bó ēn dé | bor en der |
| Birgit | 比吉特 | bǐ jí tè | bii jyi teh |
| Brigitte | 布丽奇特 | bù lì qí tè | buh lih chyi teh |
| Christa | 克丽斯塔 | kè lì sī tǎ | keh lih sy taa |
| Christian | 克里斯蒂安 | kè lǐ sī dì ān | keh lii sy dih an |
| Christine | 克里斯蒂娜 | kè lǐ sī dì nà | keh lii sy dih nah |
| Claudia | 克劳迪娅 | kè láo dí yà | keh lau dyi yah |
| Dieter | 迪特尔 | dí tè ěr | dyi teh eel |
| Elisabeth | 伊丽莎白 | yī lì shā bái | i lih sha bair |
| Elke | 埃尔克 | āi ěr kè | ai eel keh |
| Erika | 艾莉卡 | ài lì kǎ | ay lih kaa |
| Frank | 弗兰克 | fú lán kè | fwu lan keh |
| Franz | 弗兰兹 | fú lán zī | fwu lan tzy |
| Gerhard | 格哈德 | gé hā dé | ger ha der |
| Gisela | 吉塞拉 | jí sài lā | jyi say lha |
| Günter | 君特 | jūn tè | jiun teh |
| Hans | 汉斯 | hàn sī | hann sy |
| Heike | 海可 | hǎi kě | hae kee |
| Heinz | 海因茨 | hǎi yīn cí | hae in tsyr |
| Helga | 海尔格 | hǎi ěr gé | hae eel ger |
| Helmut | 赫尔穆特 | hè ěr mù tè | heh eel muh teh |
| Herbert | 赫伯特 | hè bó tè | heh bor teh |
| Horst | 霍斯特 | huò sī tè | huoh sy teh |
| Ingrid | 英格丽 | yīng gé lì | ing ger lih |
| Josef | 约瑟夫 | yuē sè fū | iue seh fu |
| Jürgen | 尤尔根 | yóu ěr gēn | you eel gen |
| Karin | 卡琳 | kǎ lín | kaa lin |
| Karl | 卡尔 | kǎ ěr | kaa eel |
| Karl-Heinz | 卡尔·海因茨 | kǎ ěr · hǎi yīn cí | kaa eel · hae in tsyr |
| Klaus | 克劳斯 | kè láo sī | keh lau sy |
| Manfred | 曼弗雷德 | màn fú léi dé | mann fwu lei der |
| Maria | 玛丽亚 | mǎ lì yà | maa lih yah |
| Martin | 马丁 | mǎ dīng | maa ding |
| Michael | 迈克尔 | mài kè ěr | may keh eel |
| Monika | 莫妮卡 | mò nī kǎ | moh nhi kaa |
| Peter | 彼得 | bǐ dé | bii der |
| Petra | 佩特拉 | pèi tè lā | pey teh lha |
| Renate | 蕾娜特 | lěi nà tè | leei nah teh |
| Sabine | 萨比娜 | sà bǐ nà | sah bii nah |
| Stefan | 史蒂芬 | shǐ dì fēn | shyy dih fen |
| Susanne | 苏珊娜 | sū shān nà | su shan nah |
| Thomas | 托马斯 | tuō mǎ sī | tuo maa sy |
| Ursula | 厄休拉 | è xiū lā | eh shiou lha |
| Uwe | 乌韦 | wū wéi | u wei |
| Walter | 沃尔特 | wò ěr tè | woh eel teh |
| Werner | 维尔纳 | wéi ěr nà | wei eel nah |
| Wolfgang | 沃夫冈 | wò fū gāng | woh fu gang |
Most common Italian names in Chinese
Here are 50 popular Italian names and their phonetic translations into Chinese:
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Pronunciation |
| Alessandro | 亚历桑德罗 | yà lì sāng dé luó | yah lih sang der luo |
| Alice | 爱丽丝 | ài lì sī | ay lih sy |
| Andrea | 安德烈 | ān dé liè | an der lieh |
| Angela | 安吉拉 | ān jí lā | an jyi lha |
| Angelo | 安杰洛 | ān jié luò | an jye luoh |
| Anna | 安娜 | ān nà | an nah |
| Antonio | 安东尼奥 | ān dōng ní ào | an dong ni aw |
| Aurora | 奥萝拉 | ào luó lā | aw luo lha |
| Beatrice | 比阿特丽斯 | bǐ ā tè lì sī | bii a teh lih sy |
| Carlo | 卡罗 | kǎ luó | kaa luo |
| Carmela | 卡梅拉 | kǎ méi lā | kaa mei lha |
| Caterina | 卡特琳娜 | kǎ tè lín nà | kaa teh lin nah |
| Edoardo | 爱德华多 | ài dé huá duō | ay der hwa duo |
| Emma | 艾玛 | ài mǎ | ay maa |
| Flavio | 弗拉维奥 | fú lā wéi ào | fwu lha wei aw |
| Francesca | 弗朗切丝卡 | fú lǎng qiè sī kǎ | fwu laang chieh sy kaa |
| Francesco | 弗朗切斯科 | fú lǎng qiè sī kē | fwu laang chieh sy ke |
| Gabriele | 加布里埃尔 | jiā bù lǐ āi ěr | jia buh lii ai eel |
| Gianna | 吉安娜 | jí ān nà | jyi an nah |
| Ginevra | 吉妮弗拉 | jí nī fú lā | jyi nhi fwu lha |
| Giorgia | 乔治娅 | qiáo zhì yà | chyau jyh yah |
| Giovanna | 乔凡娜 | qiáo fán nà | chyau farn nah |
| Giovanni | 乔瓦尼 | qiáo wǎ ní | chyau waa ni |
| Giuseppe | 朱塞佩 | zhū sài pèi | ju sai pey |
| Giuseppina | 朱塞平娜 | zhū sài píng nà | ju sai pyng nah |
| Greta | 格蕾塔 | gé lěi tǎ | ger leei taa |
| Guilia | 茱莉亚 | zhū lì yà | ju lih yah |
| Laura | 劳拉 | láo lā | lau lha |
| Leonardo | 莱昂纳多 | lái áng nà duō | lai arng nah duo |
| Lorenzo | 洛伦佐 | luò lún zuǒ | luoh luen tzuoo |
| Luca | 卢卡 | lú kǎ | lu kaa |
| Lucia | 露西亚 | lù xī yà | luh shi yah |
| Luigi | 路易吉 | lù yì jí | luh yih jyi |
| Marco | 马可 | mǎ kě | maa kee |
| Maria | 玛丽亚 | mǎ lì yà | maa lih yah |
| Mario | 马里奥 | mǎ lǐ ào | maa lii aw |
| Mattia | 马蒂亚 | mǎ dì yà | maa dih yah |
| Pietro | 彼得罗 | bǐ dé luó | bii der luo |
| Riccardo | 里卡多 | lǐ kǎ duō | lii kaa duo |
| Roberto | 罗伯托 | luó bó tuō | luo bor tuo |
| Rosa | 罗莎 | luó shā | luo sha |
| Salvatore | 塞尔瓦托 | sài ěr wǎ tuō | say eel waa tuo |
| Sara | 莎拉 | shā lā | sha lha |
| Sophia | 索菲亚 | suǒ fēi yà | suoo fei yah |
| Stefano | 斯蒂法诺 | sī dì fǎ nuò | sy dih faa nuoh |
| Stella | 斯特拉 | sī tè lā | sy teh lha |
| Teresa | 特蕾莎 | tè lěi shā | teh leei sha |
| Tommaso | 托马索 | tuō mǎ suǒ | tuo maa suoo |
| Valentina | 瓦伦蒂娜 | wǎ lún dì nà | waa luen dih nah |
| Vincenzo | 文森佐 | wén sēn zuǒ | wen sen tzuoo |
Most common Portuguese names in Chinese
People from Portugal, Brazil, or any other Portuguese-speaking region may find their names on the list below:
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Pronunciation |
| Inês | 伊内斯 | yī nèi sī | i ney sy |
| João | 约翰 | yuē hàn | iue hann |
| Mariana | 玛丽安娜 | mǎ lì ān nà | maa lih an nah |
| Miguel | 米格尔 | mǐ gé ěr | mii ger eel |
| Joana | 乔安娜 | qiáo ān nà | chyau an nah |
| Pedro | 佩德罗 | pèi dé luó | pey der luo |
| Ana | 亚拿 | yà ná | yah na |
| Diogo | 迪奥戈 | dí ào gē | dyi aw ge |
| Maria | 玛丽亚 | mǎ lì yà | maa lih yah |
| Gonçalo | 贡萨洛 | gòng sà luò | gonq sah luoh |
| Rita | 丽塔 | lì tǎ | lih taa |
| Ricardo | 里卡多 | lǐ kǎ duō | lii kaa duo |
| Carolina | 卡罗莱纳 | kǎ luó lái nà | kaa luo lai nah |
| Tomás | 托马斯 | tuō mǎ sī | tuo maa sy |
| Sofia | 苏菲亚 | sū fēi yà | su fei yah |
| Alexandre | 亚历山大 | yà lì shān dà | yah lih shan dah |
| Beatriz | 比阿特丽斯 | bǐ ā tè lì sī | bii a teh lih sy |
| Afonso | 阿丰索 | ā fēng suǒ | a feng suoo |
| Raquel | 拉奎尔 | lā kuí ěr | lha kwei eel |
| Rui | 锐 | ruì | ruey |
| Sara | 莎拉 | shā lā | sha lha |
| Luis | 路易斯 | lù yì sī | luh yih sy |
| Marta | 玛尔塔 | mǎ ěr tǎ | maa eel taa |
| Guilherme | 吉列尔梅 | jí liè ěr méi | jyi lieh eel mei |
| Liliana | 莉莉安娜 | lì lì ān nà | lih lih an nah |
| Marcos | 马科斯 | mǎ kē sī | maa ke sy |
| Laura | 劳拉 | láo lā | lau lha |
| Antonio | 安东尼奥 | ān dōng ní ào | an dong ni aw |
| Tatiana | 塔蒂亚娜 | tǎ dì yà nà | taa dih yah nah |
| Paulo | 保罗 | bǎo luó | bao luo |
| Vera | 维拉 | wéi lā | wei lha |
| David | 大卫 | dà wèi | dah wey |
| Patrícia | 帕特里夏 | pà tè lǐ xià | pah teh lii shiah |
| Tiago | 蒂亚戈 | dì yà gē | dih yah ge |
| Margarida | 玛格丽塔 | mǎ gé lì tǎ | maa ger lih taa |
| Francisco | 弗朗西斯科 | fú lǎng xī sī kē | fwu laang shi sy ke |
| Adriana | 阿德里安娜 | ā dé lǐ ān nà | a der lii an nah |
| Duarte | 杜阿尔特 | dù ā ěr tè | duh a eel teh |
| Carol | 卡萝 | kǎ luó | kaa luo |
| Rodrigo | 罗德里戈 | luó dé lǐ gē | luo der lii ge |
| Filipa | 菲利帕 | fēi lì pà | fei lih pah |
| Lucas | 卢卡斯 | lú kǎ sī | lu kaa sy |
| Daniela | 丹妮拉 | dān nī lā | dan nhi lha |
| Leandro | 莱安德罗 | lái ān dé luó | lai an der luo |
| Jéssica | 杰西卡 | jié xī kǎ | jye shi kaa |
| Jorge | 豪尔赫 | háo ěr hè | haur eel heh |
| Lara | 劳拉 | láo lā | lau lha |
| Nils | 尼尔斯 | ní ěr sī | ni eel sy |
| Andreia | 安德烈娅 | ān dé liè yà | an der lieh yah |
| Sourik | 苏里克 | sū lǐ kè | sū lǐ kè |
Most common celebrity names in Chinese
Speaking about your hobbies and interests is a great way to start a conversation in Chinese with someone you’ve just met. But how do you talk about your favorite singer, actor, politician or sports player in Chinese if you don’t know how to say their names? Fortunately, transliterating celebrity names is quite easy — you’ll get the hang of it very quickly!
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Pronunciation |
| Adele | 阿黛尔 | ā dài ěr | a day eel |
| Angelina Jolie | 安吉丽娜·朱莉 | ān jí lì nà · zhū lì | an jyi lih nah · ju lih |
| Anne Hathaway | 安妮·海瑟薇 | ān nī · hǎi sè wēi | an nhi · hae seh uei |
| Anthony Fauci | 安东尼·福奇 | ān dōng ní · fú qí | an dong ni · fwu chyi |
| Ariana Grande | 爱莉安娜·格兰德 | ài lì ān nà · gé lán dé | ay lih an nah · ger lan der |
| Barack Obama | 贝拉克·奥巴马 | bèi lā kè · ào bā mǎ | bey lha keh · aw ba maa |
| Ben Affleck | 本·阿弗莱克 | běn · ā fú lái kè | been · a fwu lai keh |
| Benedict Cumberbatch | 本尼迪克特·康伯巴奇 | běn ní dí kè tè · kāng bó bā qí | been ni dyi keh teh · kang bor ba chyi |
| Beyoncé | 碧昂丝 | bì áng sī | bih arng sy |
| Bill Gates | 比尔·盖茨 | bǐ ěr · gài cí | bǐ ěr · gài cí |
| Billie Eilish | 比莉·艾利什 | bǐ lì · ài lì shí | bii lih · ay lih shyr |
| Boris Johnson | 鲍里斯·约翰逊 | bào lǐ sī · yuē hàn xùn | baw lii sy · iue hann shiunn |
| Brad Pitt | 布拉德·皮特 | bù lā dé · pí tè | buh lha der · pyi teh |
| Britney Spears | 布兰妮·斯皮尔斯 | bù lán nī · sī pí ěr sī | buh lan nhi · sy pyi eel sy |
| Christiano Ronaldo | 克里斯蒂亚诺·罗纳尔多 | kè lǐ sī dì yà nuò · luó nà ěr duō | keh lii sy dih yah nuoh · luo nah eel duo |
| David Beckham | 大卫·贝克汉姆 | dà wèi · bèi kè hàn mǔ | dah wey · bey keh hann muu |
| Demi Lavato | 黛米·洛瓦托 | dài mǐ · luò wǎ tuō | day mii · luoh waa tuo |
| Donald Trump | 唐纳德·特朗普 | táng nà dé · tè lǎng pǔ | tarng nah der · teh laang puu |
| Dwayne Johnson | 道恩·强森 | dào ēn · qiáng sēn | daw en · chyang sen |
| Elon Musk | 埃隆·马斯克 | āi lóng · mǎ sī kè | ai long · maa sy keh |
| Emma Stone | 艾玛·斯通 | ài mǎ · sī tōng | ay maa · sy tong |
| Emma Watson | 艾玛·沃特森 | ài mǎ · wò tè sēn | ay maa · woh teh sen |
| George Clooney | 乔治·克鲁尼 | qiáo zhì · kè lǔ ní | chyau jyh · keh luu ni |
| Hugh Jackman | 休·杰克曼 | xiū · jié kè màn | shiou · jye keh mann |
| Jeff Bezos | 杰夫·贝索斯 | jié fū · bèi suǒ sī | jye fu · bey suoo sy |
| Jennifer Aniston | 詹妮弗·安妮斯顿 | zhān nī fú · ān nī sī dùn | jan nhi fwu · an nhi sy duenn |
| Jennifer Lopez | 詹妮弗·洛佩兹 | zhān nī fú · luò pèi zī | jan nhi fwu · luoh pey tzy |
| Joe Biden | 乔·拜登 | qiáo · bài dēng | chyau · bay deng |
| Johnny Depp | 约翰尼·德普 | yuē hàn ní · dé pǔ | iue hann ni · der puu |
| Justin Bieber | 贾斯汀·比伯 | jiǎ sī tīng · bǐ bó | jea sy ting · bii bor |
| Justin Timberlake | 贾斯汀·汀布莱克 | jiǎ sī tīng · tīng bù lái kè | jea sy ting · ting buh lai keh |
| Kamala Harris | 卡玛拉·哈里斯 | kǎ mǎ lā · hā lǐ sī | kaa maa lha · ha lii sy |
| Kate Perry | 凯蒂·佩里 | kǎi dì · pèi lǐ | kae dih · pey lii |
| Kanye West | 坎耶·维斯特 | kǎn yé · wéi sī tè | kaan ye · wei sy teh |
| Kim Kardashian | 金·卡戴珊 | jīn · kǎ dài shān | jin · kaa day shan |
| Kylie Jenner | 凯莉·詹娜 | kǎi lì · zhān nà | kae lih · jan nah |
| LeBron James | 勒布朗·詹姆斯 | lè bù lǎng · zhān mǔ sī | leh buh laang · jan muu sy |
| Leo Messi | 里奥·梅西 | lǐ ào · méi xī | lii aw · mei shi |
| Leonardo DiCaprio | 莱昂纳多·迪卡普里奥 | lái áng nà duō · dí kǎ pǔ lǐ ào | lai arng nah duo · dyi kaa puu lii aw |
| Mark Zuckerberg | 马克·扎克伯格 | mǎ kè · zhā kè bó gé | maa keh · ja keh bor ger |
| Michael Jordan | 迈克尔·乔丹 | mài kè ěr · qiáo dān | may keh eel · chyau dan |
| Mike Tyson | 迈克·泰森 | mài kè · tài sēn | may keh · tay sen |
| Neymar | 内马尔 | nèi mǎ ěr | ney maa eel |
| Nicole Kidman | 妮可·基德曼 | nī kě · jī dé màn | nhi kee · ji der mann |
| Oprah Winfrey | 奥普拉·温弗瑞 | ào pǔ lā · wēn fú ruì | aw puu lha · uen fwu ruey |
| Rihanna | 蕾哈娜 | lěi hā nà | leei ha nah |
| Robert Downey Jr. | 小罗伯特·唐尼 | xiǎo luó bó tè · táng ní | sheau luo bor teh · tarng ni |
| Roger Federer | 罗杰·费德勒 | luó jié · fèi dé lè | luo jye · fey der leh |
| Scarlett Johanssen | 斯嘉丽·约翰逊 | sī jiā lì · yuē hàn xùn | sy jia lih · iue hann shiunn |
| Selena Gomez | 赛琳娜·戈麦斯 | sài lín nà · gē mài sī | say lin nah · ge may sy |
| Sophie Marceau | 苏菲·玛索 | sū fēi · mǎ suǒ | su fei · maa suoo |
| Stephen Hawking | 斯蒂芬·霍金 | sī dì fēn · huò jīn | sy dih fen · huoh jin |
| Stephen Spielberg | 史蒂文·斯皮尔伯格 | shǐ dì wén · sī pí ěr bó gé | shyy dih wen · sy pyi eel bor ger |
| Steve Jobs | 史蒂夫·乔布斯 | shǐ dì fū · qiáo bù sī | shyy dih fu · chyau buh sy |
| Taylor Swift | 泰勒·斯威夫特 | tài lè · sī wēi fū tè | tay leh · sy uei fu teh |
| Tom Brady | 汤姆·布雷迪 | tāng mǔ · bù léi dí | tang muu · buh lei dyi |
| Tom Hanks | 汤姆·汉克斯 | tāng mǔ · hàn kè sī | tang muu · hann keh sy |
| Usain Bolt | 尤塞恩·博尔特 | yóu sài ēn · bó ěr tè | you say en · bor eel teh |
| Will Smith | 威尔·史密斯 | wēi ěr · shǐ mì sī | uei eel · shyy mih sy |
Understanding the basics of Chinese names
Understanding Chinese names is essential for appreciating Chinese culture. Chinese names carry deep meanings, so understanding them will help you understand your Chinese friends and colleagues on a much deeper level. Typically, a Chinese name consists of a family name (surname), followed by a given name, with the family name being of paramount importance as it connects individuals to their ancestral lineage.
Chinese name components
These are the typical components of Chinese names:
Family name (surname)
The family name comes first in Chinese names and is usually one character, but can also be two on rare occasions. There are about a hundred common Chinese surnames, so you’ll quickly start recognizing the most common ones (more on that below!). The family name is inherited and shared among family members, indicating lineage and heritage.
Given name
Following the surname is the given name, which usually comprises one or two characters. Parents choose given names extremely carefully, as the characters often carry meaning or virtues they wish upon their child. For instance, names might reflect beauty, strength, intelligence or other desired personality traits. Unlike Western naming traditions, there’s a vast pool of existing names that can be used for given names, allowing for a higher degree of uniqueness and personalization.
Generational name
Some families also incorporate a generational name — a specific character shared by all siblings and cousins of the same generation. This practice, though not universal, highlights the collective identity of the family across generations.
Common Chinese family names
Compared to its vast population, China has a relatively low number of family names, which can be attributed to several factors. First, Chinese surnames are passed down patrilineally, so many families have had the same surname for generations, stemming from ancient clans and familial lines. Then, Confucian philosophy greatly emphasized the importance of family and ancestry in society, leading to the preservation of surnames.
So, learning just a few surnames can help you a great deal in identifying numerous names! Here is a ranked list of the 20 most common Chinese surnames:
| Rank | Chinese | Pinyin | Pronunciation |
| 1 | 王 | wáng | wang |
| 2 | 李 | lǐ | lii |
| 3 | 张 | zhāng | jang |
| 4 | 刘 | liú | liou |
| 5 | 陈 | chén | chern |
| 6 | 杨 | yáng | yang |
| 7 | 黄 | huáng | hwang |
| 8 | 赵 | zhào | jaw |
| 9 | 吴 | wú | wu |
| 10 | 周 | zhōu | jou |
| 11 | 徐 | xú | shyu |
| 12 | 孙 | sūn | suen |
| 13 | 马 | mǎ | maa |
| 14 | 朱 | zhū | ju |
| 15 | 胡 | hú | hwu |
| 16 | 郭 | guō | guo |
| 17 | 何 | hé | her |
| 18 | 林 | lín | lin |
| 19 | 高 | gāo | gau |
| 20 | 罗 | luó | luo |
Common Chinese given names
Although many Chinese surnames overlap, you won’t meet two Chinese people with the exact same name that often. That’s because given names are chosen to reflect the parents’ varied hopes and aspirations for their children. Consequently, you’ll end up with unique names as each component of each Chinese character is carefully considered, including radicals.
With that said, here are some of the characters that most commonly make it onto Chinese given names:
| English meaning | Chinese name | Pinyin | Pronunciation | Commonly associated gender |
| Great, mighty | 伟 | wěi | woei | Male |
| Bright | 明 | míng | ming | Gender-neutral |
| Fragrance | 芳 | fāng | fang | Female |
| Hero or outstanding | 英 | yīng | ing | Gender-neutral |
| Handsome or talented | 俊 | jùn | jiunn | Male |
| Thunder | 雷 | léi | lei | Male |
| Splendid or China | 华 | huá | hwa | Gender-neutral |
| Outstanding | 杰 | jié | jié | Male |
| The crisp sound of hitting jade stones | 玲 | líng | ling | Female |
| Beautiful | 美 | měi | meei | Female |
| Abundant | 丰 | fēng | feng | Gender-neutral |
| Vast | 洪 | hóng | horng | Male |
| Quiet or gentle | 静 | jìng | jinq | Female |
| Mythical bird | 鹏 | péng | perng | Male |
| Strong | 强 | qiáng | chyang | Male |
| Coral | 珊 | shān | shan | Female |
| Wave | 涛 | tāo | tau | Gender-neutral |
| Elegant | 秀 | xiù | shiow | Female |
| Gorgeous | 艳 | yàn | yann | Female |
| Ambition | 志 | zhì | jyh | Male |
| Surpass | 超 | chāo | chau | Male |
| East | 东 | dōng | dong | Gender-neutral |
| Splendor | 辉 | huī | huei | Male |
| Healthy | 健 | jiàn | jiann | Male |
| Orchid | 兰 | lán | lan | Female |
| Peaceful | 宁 | níng | ning | Gender-neutral |
| Peaceful | 平 | píng | pyng | Gender-neutral |
| Fine jade | 琪 | qí | chyi | Female |
| Auspicious | 瑞 | ruì | ruey | Gender-neutral |
| Magnificent | 硕 | shuò | shuoh | Male |
| Heaven | 天 | tiān | tian | Gender-neutral |
| Cultured | 文 | wén | wen | Gender-neutral |
| Happy | 欣 | xīn | shin | Female |
| Dazzle | 耀 | yào | yaw | Male |
| Precious | 珍 | zhēn | jen | Female |
| Peace | 安 | ān | an | Gender-neutral |
| Wave | 波 | bō | bo | Male |
| Emerald | 翠 | cuì | tsuey | Female |
| Attain | 达 | dá | dar | Male |
| Positivity | 尔 | ěr | eel | Gender-neutral |
| Beautiful and Noble | 丽君 | lì jūn | lih jiun | Female |
| Glory and Well | 光利 | guāng lì | guang lih | Male |
| Cultivate Ambition | 培志 | péi zhì | peir jyh | Male |
| Excellent Wisdom | 佳慧 | jiā huì | jia huey | Female |
| Cloud Flying | 云飞 | yún fēi | yun fei | Male |
| Morning Sunshine | 晨曦 | chén xī | chern shi | Gender-neutral |
| Clear and Bright | 清昭 | qīng zhāo | ching jau | Female |
| Bright Splendor | 昭辉 | zhāo huī | jau huei | Male |
| Flying Upwards | 飞扬 | fēi yáng | fei yang | Male |
| Bright Jade | 明玉 | míng yù | ming yuh | Female |
| Quiet and Pleasant | 静怡 | jìng yí | jinq yi | Female |
| Thunder | 雷鸣 | léi míng | lei ming | Male |
| Splendid and Noble | 华君 | huá jūn | huah jiun | Gender-neutral |
| Like the Dawn | 若曦 | ruò xī | ruoh shi | Female |
| Magnificent Abundance | 硕丰 | shuò fēng | shuoh feng | Male |
| Cultured and Pure | 文清 | wén qīng | wen ching | Gender-neutral |
| Scholarly and Elegant | 香如 | xiāng rú | shiang ru | Female |
| Elegant and wisdom | 月华 | yuè huá | yueh hwa | Gender-neutral |
| Majestic Might | 振威 | zhèn wēi | jenn uei | Male |
| Virtuous and Joyful | 子欣 | zǐ xīn | tzyy shin | Gender-neutral |
| Bright, Clear | 亮 | liàng | lianq | Male |
| Beautiful Jade | 美琳 | měi lín | meei lin | Female |
| Build Vastness | 建宏 | jiàn hóng | jiann horng | Male |
| Fragrant | 芳芳 | fāng fāng | fang fang | Female |
| Morning Rain | 晓雨 | xiǎo yǔ | sheau yeu | Gender-neutral |
| Accomplished | 成 | chéng | cherng | Male |
| Magnolia | 玉兰 | yù lán | yuh lan | Female |
| Refined | 斌 | bīn | bin | Male |
| Sparkling | 晶晶 | jīng jīng | jing jing | Female |
| Triumphant | 凯 | kǎi | kae | Male |
| Orchid | 兰兰 | lán lán | lan lan | Female |
| Bright and Vast | 明浩 | míng hào | ming haw | Male |
| Merciful | 茹 | rú | ru | Female |
| Frost | 霜 | shuāng | shuang | Gender-neutral |
| Graceful | 婷婷 | tíng tíng | tyng tyng | Female |
| Greatness | 伟伟 | wěi wěi | woei woei | Male |
| Open-minded and Cultured | 晓文 | xiǎo wén | sheau wen | Gender-neutral |
| One Sail | 一帆 | yì fān | i fan | Male |
| Elegant and Noble | 彦君 | yàn jūn | yann jiun | Male |
| Delicate and Tinkling | 玲玲 | líng líng | ling ling | Female |
| Vast and Natural | 浩然 | hào rán | haw ran | Male |
| Happy and Content | 欣然 | xīn rán | shin ran | Gender-neutral |
| Candid | 磊 | lěi | leei | Male |
| Excellent and Fine | 佳琪 | jiā qí | jia chyi | Female |
| Thoughtful | 思思 | sī sī | sy sy | Female |
| Joyful | 欢 | huān | huan | Gender-neutral |
| Autumn Moon | 秋月 | qiū yuè | chiou yueh | Female |
| Ocean of Grace | 泽洋 | zé yáng | tzer yang | Male |
| Peaceful and Calm | 宁宁 | níng níng | ning ning | Female |
| Dawn’s Beauty | 晓丽 | xiǎo lì | sheau lih | Female |
| Light, Glory | 光 | guāng | guang | Gender-neutral |
| Pleased, Happy | 悦 | yuè | yueh | Gender-neutral |
| Broad, Learned | 博 | bó | bor | Male |
| Beautiful | 丽丽 | lì lì | lih lih | Female |
| Glory, Flourish | 荣 | róng | rong | Gender-neutral |
| Joyful, Happy | 欣悦 | xīn yuè | shin yueh | Female |
| Vast and Outstanding | 浩杰 | hào jié | haw jye | Male |
| Beautiful and Cultured | 丽文 | lì wén | lih wen | Female |
| Universe and Star | 宇辰 | yǔ chén | yeu chern | Male |
How to pronounce Chinese names
Pronouncing Chinese names can be challenging for non-native speakers, but understanding the basics of Mandarin pronunciation can help. Here’s a guide to get you started:
Understanding pinyin
Understanding pinyin is the first step towards getting Chinese names right. This is the Romanization system of Chinese, which uses Roman letters to match the sounds of each Chinese character. Each syllable in pinyin roughly corresponds to a syllable in Mandarin Chinese and is composed of:
- Initials: They’re always consonants and represent the beginning of a sound. Not all syllables need to have an initial.
- Finals: They’re generally vowels, but can also include vowel combinations. They represent the ending sound. All syllables must have a final.
- Tone marks: They indicate the tone in which the syllable should be pronounced.
The four tones
Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language, which means that the pitch or tone used when a word is spoken can change its meaning. There are four main tones and a neutral tone:
- First tone: High and level (¯). The tone is steady without rise or fall. Example: mā (妈) - mother.
- Second tone: Rising, from mid-level to high (´). It sounds somewhat like you’re asking a question. Example: má (麻) - numb.
- Third tone: Starts mid, dips down, then rises (ˇ). Often, it’s pronounced with a slight fall in casual speech. Example: mǎ (马) - horse
- Fourth tone: Starts high and ends low (`). It’s a sharp and clear drop in pitch. Example: mà (骂) means "to scold" or "to curse."
- Neutral tone: Light and quick, without a distinct pitch (_). It’s often used in particles, diminutives, and some single-syllable words to convey a specific meaning or grammatical function. Example: ma (吗) - (question particle).
Chinese name pronunciation tips
While reading the pinyin is massively helpful, some of it isn’t always intuitive for non-Chinese speakers. Especially if your native language is English, some of the syllables will be pronounced vastly differently. Here are some quick tips:
- The c is pronounced like the ts in “bits.”
- The q is pronounced like ch but with the tongue positioned further forward.
- The x resembles sh but also requires the tongue to be more forward.
- The zh is pronounced like the j in “jar.”
- The ch is pronounced like the ch in “chop.”
- The sh is pronounced like the sh in “shush.”
- The r is pronounced somewhat like the s in “pleasure.”
- The i in zi, ci, si sounds close to the i in “sir.”
- The ü sound is similar to the German û or the French u. When ü follows j, q, x or y, it’s written simply as u.
- Uan can be tricky. Think of combining u as in “flute” with an as in “can.”
Additionally, pay close attention to how native speakers pronounce their names. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help or clarification from native speakers — most will be happy to help you get their names right!
How to choose a Chinese name
Whether you’re planning to visit China for a few weeks or are thinking about studying or working in the country for long, choosing a Chinese name is one of the first things you should do to integrate into society. Here’s a quick guide to help you choose your Chinese name:
1. Pick an approach
There are two main approaches to choosing a Chinese name:
- Phonetic matching: Find Chinese sounds similar to your own name. Most Western names already have a translation, which you can find above. If you choose to go this route, then simply scroll up to our list of the most common names, find yours and you’re done!
- Meaningful translation: Choose a name based on qualities or elements you identify with. They may sound somewhat similar to your real name or not at all — it’s entirely up to you!
The phonetic matching approach is by far the fastest and most impersonal approach. If you’re planning to live or work in China long-term, going for a meaningful translation that more closely resembles a native Chinese name will be more impressive, as it’ll show that you’ve put some careful thought into your name — just how Chinese parents do with their children’s names.
2. Pick a surname
Chinese surnames are typically in one character. One suggestion is that you can just go with a surname that sounds closest to your own name. For example, if your last name is Jones, you can go with 周 (zhōu) as your surname.
3. Choose your given name
This is where you’ll have to spend some time thinking about what’s important to you. Ideally, you’ll want to combine characters that sound somewhat like your given name and signify values or adjectives that you identify with or would like to manifest for yourself. Of course, this is much easier said than done, but our list of the 100 most common Chinese names above is a great place to start.
4. Consult with native speakers
Asking native speakers for help can be a great way to find name ideas in Chinese. But, whether you decide to come up with the name entirely on your own or seek help, make sure to always confirm with a few native speakers before you settle into your new name. This will help you ensure that your name sounds as natural as possible and also confirm that there aren’t any other meanings or negative connotations that you hadn’t considered.
FAQs about Chinese names
How do you tell first names and last names in Chinese?
In Chinese names, the family name (surname) comes first, followed by the given name. The family name is usually just one syllable, while the given name is typically one or two syllables. For example, in the name "王小明" (wáng xiǎo míng), "王" (wáng) is the surname, and "小明" (xiǎo míng) is the given name.
Are Chinese names gendered?
Yes, Chinese names can be gendered, but not always explicitly. The characters used in given names often have connotations that are considered masculine or feminine. For instance, names containing characters like "芳" (fāng, meaning fragrant) are typically feminine, while names with characters like "刚" (gāng, meaning strong) are usually masculine. However, many names are unisex, depending on the characters used.
Do Chinese people have middle names?
Traditionally, Chinese people don’t have middle names the way Westerners do. The given name consists of one or two characters and is considered a single unit. However, in some families, there is a generational name component shared by all siblings and cousins of the same generation. Although not the same concept as a middle name, this is the closest thing that could resemble it in Chinese names.
Do Chinese women change their names after marriage?
No, Chinese women typically don’t change their surnames after marriage. The practice of keeping one’s maiden name is common and widely accepted in Chinese culture. This tradition emphasizes the importance of one’s lineage and family identity. Both men and women retain their given names and surnames throughout their lives, including after marriage.
It’s a pleasure to meet you!
We’ve covered hundreds of Western names in Chinese along with some of the most common Chinese names out there, so hopefully, you found yours on one of our lists! And if not, then you now have the tools to expertly create your very own Chinese name.
If you enjoyed this guide, make sure to check out the rest of our Chinese blog. We regularly publish tons of helpful guides, like mastering basic Chinese sentence structures and understanding the Chinese New Year.
