若兰Ruòlán
like an orchid
- 若 ruò — like, as if
- 兰 lán — orchid
名Chinese Name Generator
§ I · Names by theme
Flowers & nature
Characters drawn from blossoms, plants and water. They suggest freshness, beauty and quiet growth.
雨荷Yǔhé
a lotus in the rain
- 雨 yǔ — rain
- 荷 hé — lotus
雪梅Xuěméi
plum blossom in the snow
- 雪 xuě — snow
- 梅 méi — plum blossom
The plum blossom flowers in winter and symbolizes resilience; a classic name, more common among older generations.
映雪Yìngxuě
light reflected off snow
- 映 yìng — to reflect, shine on
- 雪 xuě — snow
素馨Sùxīn
jasmine; a pure fragrance
- 素 sù — plain, pure
- 馨 xīn — fragrance
清漪Qīngyī
clear ripples on water
- 清 qīng — clear
- 漪 yī — ripples
Light & seasons
Dawn, moonlight, snow and spring. These names carry brightness and the feeling of a particular moment in the year.
晨曦Chénxī
the first light of morning
- 晨 chén — morning
- 曦 xī — dawn sunlight
月华Yuèhuá
moonlight
- 月 yuè — moon
- 华 huá — radiance, splendor
Echoes Zhang Ruoxu's Tang poem on the moonlit spring river: '愿逐月华流照君' — 'I wish to follow the moonlight and shine on you'.
春晓Chūnxiǎo
spring dawn
- 春 chūn — spring
- 晓 xiǎo — dawn
Shares its title with Meng Haoran's famous Tang poem 'Spring Dawn' (春晓).
初晴Chūqíng
the sky clearing after rain
- 初 chū — first, beginning
- 晴 qíng — clear sky
星澜Xīnglán
starlight on the waves
- 星 xīng — star
- 澜 lán — great wave
晓彤Xiǎotóng
the red glow of daybreak
- 晓 xiǎo — dawn
- 彤 tóng — red
Virtue & character
Kindness, calm and wisdom. Names that express the kind of person parents hope a daughter will become.
静怡Jìngyí
calm and content
- 静 jìng — calm, quiet
- 怡 yí — joyful, content
慧敏Huìmǐn
wise and quick-witted
- 慧 huì — wise
- 敏 mǐn — quick-witted
知意Zhīyì
one who understands others' hearts
- 知 zhī — to know, understand
- 意 yì — intention, heart's meaning
安然Ānrán
calm and at ease
- 安 ān — peace
- 然 rán — so, thus
思懿Sīyì
thoughtful and virtuous
- 思 sī — thought
- 懿 yì — virtuous, admirable
宁馨Níngxīn
peaceful fragrance; a lovely child
- 宁 níng — peaceful
- 馨 xīn — fragrance
Grace & elegance
Jade, softness and refinement. Classic characters long associated with gentleness and poise.
婉清Wǎnqīng
graceful and pure
- 婉 wǎn — graceful, gentle
- 清 qīng — clear, pure
雅婷Yǎtíng
elegant and graceful
- 雅 yǎ — elegant
- 婷 tíng — graceful
A classic name, especially common in Taiwan.
美玲Měilíng
beautiful, like chiming jade
- 美 měi — beautiful
- 玲 líng — tinkling of jade
玉洁Yùjié
pure as jade
- 玉 yù — jade
- 洁 jié — pure, spotless
嫣然Yānrán
with a sweet, charming smile
- 嫣 yān — charming, lovely
- 然 rán — so, thus
佳琪Jiāqí
fine jade; a precious girl
- 佳 jiā — fine, excellent
- 琪 qí — fine jade
From classical poetry
Names that echo lines from the Book of Songs and Tang and Song poetry, chosen for their imagery and cultured tone.
静姝Jìngshū
a quiet beauty
- 静 jìng — quiet, serene
- 姝 shū — beautiful woman
From the Book of Songs (Jing Nü): '静女其姝' — 'the quiet maiden is lovely'.
琼瑶Qióngyáo
precious jade
- 琼 qióng — exquisite jade
- 瑶 yáo — precious jade
From the Book of Songs (Mu Gua): '报之以琼瑶' — 'I repay you with fine jade'; also the pen name of novelist Chiung Yao.
采薇Cǎiwēi
picking wild vetch
- 采 cǎi — to pick, gather
- 薇 wēi — wild vetch
Title of a poem in the Book of Songs (Cai Wei), famous for the line '昔我往矣，杨柳依依'.
婵娟Chánjuān
graceful beauty; a poetic name for the moon
- 婵 chán — graceful
- 娟 juān — beautiful
From Su Shi's 'Shui Diao Ge Tou': '千里共婵娟' — 'sharing the same moon a thousand miles apart'.
锦书Jǐnshū
a letter on brocade; a heartfelt letter
- 锦 jǐn — brocade
- 书 shū — letter, writing
From Li Qingzhao's 'Yi Jian Mei': '云中谁寄锦书来' — 'who sends a brocade letter through the clouds?'
芷兰Zhǐlán
fragrant herbs and orchids
- 芷 zhǐ — angelica (fragrant herb)
- 兰 lán — orchid
From the Chu Ci ('Lady of the Xiang'): '沅有芷兮澧有兰' — 'angelica by the Yuan, orchids by the Li'.
Modern favourites
Names that have been popular with parents in China in recent years: light, bright and easy to say.
欣怡Xīnyí
happy and joyful
- 欣 xīn — joyful
- 怡 yí — happy, pleased
A popular choice for baby girls in mainland China in recent years.
梓涵Zǐhán
rooted and broad-minded
- 梓 zǐ — catalpa tree; hometown
- 涵 hán — to embrace; tolerance
A popular choice for baby girls in mainland China in recent years.
雨桐Yǔtóng
a paulownia tree in the rain
- 雨 yǔ — rain
- 桐 tóng — paulownia tree
A popular choice for baby girls in mainland China in recent years.
梓萱Zǐxuān
home and carefree joy
- 梓 zǐ — catalpa tree; hometown
- 萱 xuān — daylily
A popular choice for baby girls in recent years; the daylily (萱) is traditionally the 'flower that dispels worry'.
若汐Ruòxī
like the evening tide
- 若 ruò — like, as if
- 汐 xī — evening tide
A popular choice for baby girls in mainland China in recent years.
梦瑶Mèngyáo
a dream of precious jade
- 梦 mèng — dream
- 瑶 yáo — precious jade
A popular choice for baby girls in mainland China in recent years.
§ II · How Chinese names work
Surname first, then the given name
A Chinese name is written surname first. Most surnames are a single character, such as 王 (Wáng) or 李 (Lǐ); a few are two characters, like 欧阳 (Ōuyáng). The given name that follows is usually two characters, sometimes one, so most full names are two or three characters long.
The meaning of a name lives in its characters, not in its sound. Parents choose each character for what it says — a flower, a virtue, a hope — and for how the tones flow together. That is why a phonetic transliteration of an English name, such as 詹妮弗 for Jennifer, is easy to recognize as foreign: its characters were picked to imitate sounds, so together they carry little meaning.
§ III · Surnames
12 common Chinese surnames
A small number of surnames are shared by a very large part of the population in mainland China, led by Wang (王), Li (李) and Zhang (张). Any of the given names above can be paired with one of these to form a complete, natural-sounding name.
| Surname | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 王 | Wáng | king — The most common surname in mainland China. |
| 李 | Lǐ | plum tree — The surname of the Tang dynasty emperors. |
| 张 | Zhāng | to draw a bow; to open |
| 刘 | Liú | an ancient weapon (a battle-axe) — The surname of the Han dynasty emperors. |
| 陈 | Chén | to display; old |
| 杨 | Yáng | poplar |
| 黄 | Huáng | yellow |
| 赵 | Zhào | the ancient state of Zhao — The surname of the Song dynasty emperors. |
| 吴 | Wú | the ancient state of Wu |
| 周 | Zhōu | the Zhou dynasty; complete |
| 徐 | Xú | slow, gentle |
| 孙 | Sūn | grandson; descendant — Shared by Sun Tzu, author of The Art of War, and Sun Yat-sen. |
§ IV · Choosing a name
How to choose a Chinese female name
- 01
Start from meaning
Decide what you want the name to say — a quality, an image, a hope — and look for characters that express it. Meaning matters more than matching the sound of your English name.
- 02
Listen to the tones
Mandarin has four tones plus a neutral tone. Names usually sound best when the tones vary rather than repeat, so read the full name aloud with its surname.
- 03
Check for unfortunate homophones
Many characters share a sound, and a harmless name can echo an awkward word. Ask a native speaker to read the full name and tell you what it brings to mind.
- 04
Pair it with a surname
A given name is only half a name. Choose a surname — your own family's Chinese surname, or one close to the sound of your last name — and judge the two together.
- 05
Keep it short
Most Chinese full names are two or three characters. A one-character surname plus a two-character given name is the most common and natural shape.
§ V · Questions
Can a foreigner use these names?
Yes. These are ordinary given names, and anyone can use them. Paired with a fitting surname, they will read as a real Chinese name rather than a translation.
Does my Chinese name have to sound like my English name?
No. Many people choose a name purely for its meaning. Others keep a link through the surname, for example by choosing a Chinese surname close to the first sound of their family name. Either approach is common.
Are these names only for women?
These names are widely read as feminine, mostly because of characters like 婷, 娜 or 莹. Some characters, such as 安 or 宁, are also used in boys' names, and a combination can feel more neutral depending on the other character.
How do I read the tone marks in pinyin?
The mark over a vowel shows the tone: ā is high and level, á rises, ǎ dips and rises, and à falls. A vowel with no mark is the neutral tone. Listening to a native speaker is the most reliable way to get them right.
Can I combine any name here with any surname?
Most combinations work, but read each one aloud. Some pairs repeat the same tone or form an unintended phrase, and a native speaker can tell you quickly if a pairing sounds odd.
How do I get a name made for me?
Use the Chinese female name generator. Enter your name or the meaning you want, and it suggests names with characters, pinyin and an explanation of each choice.
Want a name chosen for you?
Tell the generator your name or the meaning you have in mind, and get Chinese names explained character by character.
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