浩宇Hàoyǔ
vast as the universe
- 浩 hào — vast, mighty
- 宇 yǔ — universe
名Chinese Name Generator
§ I · Names by theme
Strength & courage
Characters for vigour, boldness and steadiness. They describe someone resilient and dependable.
弘毅Hóngyì
broad-minded and resolute
- 弘 hóng — broad, great
- 毅 yì — resolute
From the Analects: '士不可以不弘毅' — 'a scholar must be broad-minded and resolute'.
英杰Yīngjié
an outstanding hero
- 英 yīng — outstanding
- 杰 jié — hero
劲松Jìngsōng
a sturdy pine
- 劲 jìng — sturdy, strong
- 松 sōng — pine
俊豪Jùnháo
talented and bold
- 俊 jùn — talented, handsome
- 豪 háo — bold, heroic
骏驰Jùnchí
a galloping steed
- 骏 jùn — fine steed
- 驰 chí — to gallop
Virtue & integrity
Honesty, benevolence and loyalty. Names rooted in long-standing ideals of good character.
明德Míngdé
shining virtue
- 明 míng — bright; to illuminate
- 德 dé — virtue
From the Great Learning: '大学之道，在明明德' — 'the way of great learning lies in illuminating bright virtue'.
立诚Lìchéng
grounded in sincerity
- 立 lì — to establish
- 诚 chéng — sincerity
From the Book of Changes: '修辞立其诚' — 'let your words be founded on sincerity'.
子谦Zǐqiān
a modest gentleman
- 子 zǐ — son; gentleman
- 谦 qiān — modest
怀仁Huáirén
cherishing benevolence
- 怀 huái — to cherish
- 仁 rén — benevolence
厚德Hòudé
deep virtue
- 厚 hòu — generous, deep
- 德 dé — virtue
From the Book of Changes: '君子以厚德载物' — 'the noble person bears all things with great virtue'; also part of Tsinghua University's motto.
怀瑾Huáijǐn
holding fine jade within — inner virtue
- 怀 huái — to hold in one's heart
- 瑾 jǐn — fine jade
From Qu Yuan's Chu Ci (九章·怀沙): '怀瑾握瑜兮' — 'holding jade in my bosom and in my hands', a classic image of integrity.
Wisdom & learning
Insight, scholarship and clear thinking. Names that express a hope for a sharp and cultivated mind.
明哲Míngzhé
clear-sighted and wise
- 明 míng — bright, clear-sighted
- 哲 zhé — wise
博文Bówén
widely learned
- 博 bó — broad, erudite
- 文 wén — learning, letters
启明Qǐmíng
enlightenment; the morning star
- 启 qǐ — to open, enlighten
- 明 míng — bright
思齐Sīqí
striving to equal the wise
- 思 sī — to think, aspire
- 齐 qí — to equal
From the Analects: '见贤思齐' — 'when you see a worthy person, strive to equal them'.
文渊Wényuān
deep learning
- 文 wén — learning, letters
- 渊 yuān — deep pool; profound
知行Zhīxíng
knowledge and action
- 知 zhī — knowledge
- 行 xíng — action
Echoes Wang Yangming's ideal of the 'unity of knowledge and action' (知行合一).
Mountains & rivers
Peaks, rivers, pines and the open sea. Names that borrow the scale and permanence of the landscape.
云峰Yúnfēng
a peak among the clouds
- 云 yún — cloud
- 峰 fēng — peak
松涛Sōngtāo
the sound of wind through pines
- 松 sōng — pine
- 涛 tāo — waves
百川Bǎichuān
a hundred rivers
- 百 bǎi — hundred
- 川 chuān — rivers
From the saying 海纳百川 — 'the sea takes in a hundred rivers', a symbol of open-mindedness.
瀚海Hànhǎi
a vast sea
- 瀚 hàn — vast
- 海 hǎi — sea
青山Qīngshān
green mountains
- 青 qīng — green
- 山 shān — mountain
江帆Jiāngfān
a sail on the river
- 江 jiāng — river
- 帆 fān — sail
Ambition & far horizons
Flight, distance and rising high. Names that carry a sense of purpose and a wish to go far.
致远Zhìyuǎn
reaching far
- 致 zhì — to reach
- 远 yuǎn — far
From Zhuge Liang's 'Admonition to My Son': '非宁静无以致远' — 'without calm, one cannot reach far'.
鹏程Péngchéng
a great future ahead
- 鹏 péng — roc (giant mythical bird)
- 程 chéng — journey
From the idiom 鹏程万里 — 'the roc's ten-thousand-li flight', drawn from Zhuangzi's giant bird.
远航Yuǎnháng
sailing far
- 远 yuǎn — far
- 航 háng — to sail
凌云Língyún
soaring above the clouds
- 凌 líng — to rise above
- 云 yún — clouds
翔宇Xiángyǔ
soaring through the sky
- 翔 xiáng — to soar
- 宇 yǔ — universe, sky
Also the courtesy name of Zhou Enlai.
志恒Zhìhéng
steadfast ambition
- 志 zhì — ambition, will
- 恒 héng — lasting, persevering
Modern favourites
Names that have been popular with parents in China in recent years: clean, confident and easy to say.
子轩Zǐxuān
a high-spirited gentleman
- 子 zǐ — son; gentleman
- 轩 xuān — lofty, high-spirited
A popular choice for baby boys in mainland China in recent years.
浩然Hàorán
vast and upright in spirit
- 浩 hào — vast, mighty
- 然 rán — so, thus
From Mencius's 浩然之气, 'the vast, flowing spirit'; a popular boys' name in recent decades.
宇轩Yǔxuān
lofty as the sky
- 宇 yǔ — universe
- 轩 xuān — lofty, high-spirited
A popular choice for baby boys in mainland China in recent years.
梓睿Zǐruì
rooted and wise
- 梓 zǐ — catalpa tree; hometown
- 睿 ruì — wise, perceptive
A popular choice for baby boys in mainland China in recent years.
一诺Yīnuò
a promise kept
- 一 yī — one
- 诺 nuò — promise
Unisex. From the idiom 一诺千金 ('a promise worth a thousand gold'); very popular for both boys and girls since the late 2010s.
奕辰Yìchén
radiant as the stars
- 奕 yì — radiant, grand
- 辰 chén — celestial bodies; time
A popular choice for baby boys 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 male 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 men?
These names are widely read as masculine, mostly because of characters like 刚, 强 or 伟. Some characters, such as 文 or 明, also appear in girls' names, so the overall impression depends on the full combination.
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 male 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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