Chinese last names, also known as surnames, have several distinctive characteristics:
- Clans: Many Chinese last names are associated with a specific clan or family, and members of that clan or family will often share the same last name.
- Frequency: There are a relatively small number of Chinese last names, but many people have the same last name. The most common last name in China is “Li”, which is shared by over 100 million people.
- Meaning: Many Chinese last names have a specific meaning or origin story. For example, the last name “Wang” means “king,” and is believed to have originated from people who were descendants of a king.
- Pronunciation: Chinese last names are typically one or two syllables, and are pronounced with a tonal inflection that can change the meaning of the word.
- Order: In Chinese, the last name comes before the given name. So, for example, if someone’s last name is “Zhang” and their given name is “San”, they would be referred to as “Zhang San”.
Chinese Last Names and Meanings (With Characters)
Here is a list of common Chinese last names with their meanings and characters:
- Zhang (张) – “to open” or “to expand”
- Li (李) – “plum”
- Wang (王) – “king” or “monarch”
- Liu (刘) – “willow”
- Chen (陈) – “to display” or “to exhibit”
- Yang (杨) – “poplar” or “tremble”
- Zhao (赵) – “bright” or “intelligent”
- Huang (黄) – “yellow”
- Zhou (周) – “circular” or “to revolve”
- Xu (许) – “to permit” or “to allow”
- Sun (孙) – “grandchild” or “descendant”
- Guo (郭) – “wall” or “encirclement”
- Ma (马) – “horse”
- Wu (吴) – “martial” or “warlike”
- Zeng (曾) – “to have been” or “once upon a time”
- Peng (彭) – “drum” or “beat of a drum”
- Jiang (江) – “river” or “large stream”
- Gao (高) – “high” or “tall”
- Shen (沈) – “sink” or “drown”
- Ouyang (欧阳) – “European Yang”
Note: This list is by no means exhaustive, and there are many other last names in China.
Chinese Last Names Meaning Moon
There are several Chinese surnames that mean “moon”:
- 月 (Yuè): This surname means “moon” or “month” and is a relatively rare surname in China.
- 月亮 (Yuèliàng): This surname also means “moon” but is more commonly used as a given name rather than a surname.
- 赵月 (Zhào Yuè): This surname combines the character for “Zhao”, which is a common Chinese surname, with the character for “moon”.
- 朱月 (Zhū Yuè): This surname combines the character for “Zhu”, which is also a common Chinese surname, with the character for “moon”.
- 明月 (Míng Yuè): This is not a surname but rather a given name that is often associated with the image of a bright, full moon.
Chinese Last Names Meaning Earth
Here are some Chinese last names that have the meaning “earth”:
- Tu (土) – “earth” or “soil”
- Di (地) – “earth” or “ground”
- Sheng (圣) – “sacred” or “divine”
- Dong (东) – “east” or “the direction of the rising sun”
Note that some Chinese last names can have multiple meanings, so it’s possible for them to have a different interpretation other than “earth.”
Chinese Last Names Meaning Dragon
There are several Chinese surnames that mean “dragon”:
- 龙 (Lóng): This is the most common surname that means “dragon” in Chinese, and is also a symbol of power and good fortune in Chinese culture.
- 龚 (Gōng): This surname means “large dragon” or “big dragon” and is believed to have originated from the name of an ancient Chinese kingdom.
- 龙威 (Lóng Wēi): This surname combines the character for “dragon” with the character for “power” or “prestige”.
- 龙胜 (Lóng Shèng): This surname combines the character for “dragon” with the character for “victory” or “triumph”.
- 龙飞 (Lóng Fēi): This surname combines the character for “dragon” with the character for “fly”, and is often used as a poetic name to symbolize power and freedom.
Chinese Last Names List
Here is a list of common Chinese last names:
- Zhang (张)
- Li (李)
- Wang (王)
- Liu (刘)
- Chen (陈)
- Yang (杨)
- Zhao (赵)
- Huang (黄)
- Zhou (周)
- Xu (许)
- Sun (孙)
- Guo (郭)
- Ma (马)
- Wu (吴)
- Zeng (曾)
- Peng (彭)
- Jiang (江)
- Gao (高)
- Shen (沈)
- Ouyang (欧阳)
This list is by no means exhaustive, as there are many more last names in China.
100 Chinese Surnames | The 100 Most Common Chinese Last Names
Chinese Last Names by Popularity
Here are the top 10 most common Chinese surnames, ranked by population:
- 李 (Lǐ)
- 王 (Wáng)
- 张 (Zhāng)
- 刘 (Liú)
- 陈 (Chén)
- 杨 (Yáng)
- 黄 (Huáng)
- 吴 (Wú)
- 赵 (Zhào)
- 周 (Zhōu)
It’s worth noting that these surnames are not evenly distributed across China, and some surnames may be more common in certain regions or among certain ethnic groups.
Additionally, there are many other Chinese surnames that are less common but still significant in terms of population.
Chinese Last Names in America
Chinese immigrants to America have brought with them a variety of surnames, including many traditional Chinese surnames as well as some that have been adopted or modified over time.
Here are some common Chinese last names found in America:
- Wong (黄, Huáng)
- Chen (陈, Chén)
- Lee/Li (李, Lǐ)
- Wang (王, Wáng)
- Lin (林, Lín)
- Liu (刘, Liú)
- Yang (杨, Yáng)
- Zhang (张, Zhāng)
- Zhu (朱, Zhū)
- Wu (吴, Wú)
It’s worth noting that some Chinese immigrants to America may have also chosen to adopt Westernized names, so not all Chinese Americans may have traditional Chinese surnames.
Additionally, there are many other less common Chinese surnames that can be found among Chinese Americans.
Chinese Last Names That Start With… (A-Z)
Some Chinese last names organized by the first letter of their English transliteration:
A:
- Ai (艾)
- An (安)
B:
- Bai (白)
- Ban (班)
- Bei (北)
C:
- Chen (陈)
- Chang (常)
- Cheng (程)
D:
- Dai (戴)
- Dan (丹)
- Deng (邓)
E:
- Eng (恩)
F:
- Fan (范)
- Feng (冯)
- Fu (符)
G:
- Gao (高)
- Gu (顾)
- Guo (郭)
H:
- Han (韩)
- He (何)
- Huang (黄)
J:
- Jiang (江)
- Jin (金)
- Jing (井)
K:
- Kang (康)
- Kuang (匡)
- Kwan (关)
L:
- Li (李)
- Lin (林)
- Liu (刘)
M:
- Ma (马)
- Meng (孟)
- Mo (莫)
N:
- Nie (聂)
- Ning (宁)
O:
- Ouyang (欧阳)
P:
- Peng (彭)
- Piao (朴)
- Pu (蒲)
Q:
- Qiu (邱)
- Qiao (乔)
- Qin (秦)
R:
- Ren (任)
- Rong (容)
- Rou (柔)
S:
- Shan (单)
- Shen (沈)
- Shui (水)
T:
- Tan (谭)
- Tao (陶)
- Tu (土)
W:
- Wang (王)
- Wei (魏)
- Wu (吴)
X:
- Xi (席)
- Xie (谢)
- Xu (许)
Y:
- Yang (杨)
- Yao (姚)
- Ye (叶)
Z:
- Zhang (张)
- Zheng (郑)
- Zhou (周)
This list is by no means exhaustive, as there are many more last names in China.
Chinese Last Names Generator
There are more than 4,000 Chinese surnames, making it one of the most diverse and numerous systems of family names in the world.
Here are some of the most common Chinese surnames, along with their corresponding Chinese characters:
- 李 (Lǐ)
- 王 (Wáng)
- 张 (Zhāng)
- 刘 (Liú)
- 陈 (Chén)
- 杨 (Yáng)
- 黄 (Huáng)
- 赵 (Zhào)
- 吴 (Wú)
- 周 (Zhōu)
- 徐 (Xú)
- 孙 (Sūn)
- 马 (Mǎ)
- 高 (Gāo)
- 林 (Lín)
- 何 (Hé)
- 梁 (Liáng)
- 谢 (Xiè)
- 宋 (Sòng)
- 许 (Xǔ)
- 郭 (Guō)
- 郑 (Zhèng)
- 谭 (Tán)
- 唐 (Táng)
- 冯 (Féng)
This list only scratches the surface of the many Chinese surnames that exist, and there are countless other less common surnames that are used by Chinese people around the world.
Common Chinese Last Names
Below is a list of common Chinese last names along with their characters:
- Li (李)
- Wang (王)
- Zhang (张)
- Liu (刘)
- Chen (陈)
- Yang (杨)
- Zhao (赵)
- Huang (黄)
- Zhou (周)
- Xu (徐)
- Sun (孙)
- Hu (胡)
- Guo (郭)
- Ma (马)
- Gong (龚)
These are some of the most popular last names in China, representing a diverse range of cultural and linguistic heritage.
Unique Chinese Last Names
Here are some unique Chinese last names with their characters:
- 段 (Duàn)
- 慕 (Mù)
- 郑 (Zhèng)
- 贺 (Hè)
- 蔺 (Lìn)
- 蓝 (Lán)
- 谷 (Gǔ)
- 秦 (Qín)
- 马 (Mǎ)
- 龙 (Lóng)
Chinese surnames are usually one character long, although there are also rare cases where a surname can consist of two or more characters.
Each Chinese surname has a unique character or combination of characters, making them distinguishable from one another.
These surnames have been used for generations and are still common in China today.
Beautiful Chinese Last Names
Below are some Chinese last names that are considered beautiful:
- 美 (Měi)
- 燕 (Yàn)
- 苏 (Sū)
- 宋 (Sòng)
- 萧 (Xiāo)
- 艾 (Ài)
- 卓 (Zhuō)
- 花 (Huā)
- 叶 (Yè)
- 桂 (Guì)
Chinese surnames are an important part of Chinese culture and tradition, and each surname carries a unique meaning and history.
Some surnames are considered more beautiful or poetic than others, and can be found in Chinese literature and art.
These surnames are still common in China today and are often used as names for businesses, products, and places.
Two-Letter Chinese Last Names
Here are some examples of two-letter Chinese last names:
- Ai (艾)
- An (安)
- Bo (波)
- Bu (卜)
- Fu (付)
- He (何)
- Hu (胡)
- Ji (吉)
- Ke (柯)
- Li (李)
- Lu (卢)
- Qi (齐)
- Shao (邵)
- Wei (魏)
- Wu (吴)
- Xi (席)
- Xu (徐)
- Yu (于)
- Ng (㑩)
It’s worth noting that two-letter last names are relatively uncommon in China, where most last names have three or more characters.
Royal Chinese Surnames
Below are some Chinese surnames that are associated with royalty and nobility:
- 王 (Wáng) – meaning “king”
- 皇 (Huáng) – meaning “emperor”
- 吴 (Wú) – the surname of the ruling house of the Wu state during the Spring and Autumn period
- 赵 (Zhào) – the surname of the ruling house of the Zhao state during the Warring States period
- 楚 (Chǔ) – the surname of the ruling house of the Chu state during the Warring States period
- 韩 (Hán) – the surname of the ruling house of the Han state during the Warring States period
- 姬 (Jī) – the surname of the royal family of the Zhou dynasty
These surnames are deeply rooted in Chinese history and have been associated with royalty and nobility for centuries.
They continue to be used in China today and are considered prestigious and highly respected.
Rich Chinese Last Names
Here are some Chinese last names that are associated with wealth and prosperity:
- 财 (Cái) – meaning “wealth”
- 富 (Fù) – meaning “rich”
- 裕 (Yù) – meaning “abundant”
- 金 (Jīn) – meaning “gold”
- 钱 (Qián) – meaning “money”
- 肖 (Xiào) – meaning “prosperous”
- 周 (Zhōu) – the surname of the ruling house of the Zhou dynasty, which was known for its wealth and power
- 叶 (Yè) – meaning “leaf”, which symbolizes growth and abundance
- 李 (Lǐ) – a common Chinese surname that is associated with prosperity and good fortune
- 张 (Zhāng) – another common Chinese surname that is associated with success and wealth.
These surnames reflect the importance of wealth and prosperity in Chinese culture, and are often used as names for businesses and organizations.
They continue to be popular in China today and are considered desirable and auspicious.
Rare Chinese Last Names
Here are some examples of rare Chinese last names:
- Bi (毕)
- Cai (蔡)
- Fan (范)
- Geng (耿)
- Jia (贾)
- Kang (康)
- Lei (雷)
- Li (黎)
- Lin (林)
- Lü (吕)
- Min (闵)
- Nie (聂)
- Su (苏)
- Tan (谭)
- Tong (童)
- Wei (韦)
- Xia (夏)
- Xie (谢)
- Yin (尹)
- Zhang (章)
These last names are considered rare in China due to their low frequency of occurrence or limited geographical distribution.
However, it’s worth noting that the definition of “rare” can vary based on context, as some last names that are uncommon in one region may be more common in another.
Pretty Chinese Last Names
Below are some Chinese last names that are considered pretty:
- 花 (Huā) – meaning “flower”
- 柳 (Liǔ) – meaning “willow”
- 桃 (Táo) – meaning “peach”
- 洛 (Luò) – a name of a river in China that is associated with beauty and grace
- 翠 (Cuì) – meaning “green jade”, which is a symbol of beauty and purity in Chinese culture
- 薛 (Xuē) – a rare and elegant surname that is associated with beauty and grace
- 钟 (Zhōng) – meaning “clock” or “bell”, which is a symbol of harmony and balance in Chinese culture
- 陆 (Lù) – meaning “land” or “shore”, which is associated with the beauty of nature
- 羊 (Yáng) – meaning “sheep” or “goat”, which is a symbol of gentleness and beauty in Chinese culture
- 唐 (Táng) – the surname of the Tang dynasty, which is associated with a golden age of Chinese culture and arts.
These surnames reflect the importance of beauty and aesthetics in Chinese culture, and are often used as names for people, places, and businesses.
They are still popular in China today and are considered pleasant and attractive.
Cool Chinese Last Names
The notion of what is considered a “cool” last name is subjective and can vary based on cultural background, personal preference, and individual interpretation.
However, here are some Chinese last names that are sometimes considered unique or distinctive:
- Chai (柴)
- Deng (邓)
- Gao (高)
- Hao (郝)
- Hong (洪)
- Jia (贾)
- Kang (康)
- Lan (兰)
- Leng (冷)
- Li (李)
- Liu (刘)
- Mao (毛)
- Nie (聂)
- Shan (单)
- Wei (魏)
- Yang (杨)
- Yao (姚)
- Zhang (张)
Ancient Chinese Last Names
Below are some ancient Chinese last names that date back to the dynastic periods:
- 姬 (Jī) – the surname of the royal family of the Zhou dynasty
- 嬴 (Yíng) – the surname of the ruling house of the Qin dynasty, which united China for the first time
- 赵 (Zhào) – the surname of the ruling house of the Zhao state during the Warring States period
- 魏 (Wèi) – the surname of the ruling house of the Wei state during the Warring States period
- 楚 (Chǔ) – the surname of the ruling house of the Chu state during the Warring States period
- 鲁 (Lǔ) – the surname of the ruling house of the Lu state during the Spring and Autumn period
- 韩 (Hán) – the surname of the ruling house of the Han state during the Warring States period
- 司马 (Sīmǎ) – a compound surname used by the royal family of the Wei state during the Three Kingdoms period
- 诸葛 (Zhūgě) – a compound surname used by the family of the famous strategist Zhuge Liang during the Three Kingdoms period
- 夏侯 (Xiàhóu) – a compound surname used by the family of the famous general Xiahou Dun during the Three Kingdoms period.
These surnames are deeply rooted in Chinese history and culture, and many of them are associated with the ruling houses of ancient states and dynasties.
They continue to be used in China today and are considered prestigious and respected.
Traditional Chinese Last Names
Traditional Chinese last names have a rich history and cultural significance.
Here are some examples of traditional Chinese last names:
- Chen (陈)
- Fang (方)
- Gu (顾)
- Hu (胡)
- Ji (季)
- Li (李)
- Liu (刘)
- Shi (史)
- Wang (王)
- Wu (吴)
- Yang (杨)
- Zhang (张)
- Zhou (周)
These last names have been passed down for generations and are steeped in tradition and cultural heritage.
They are commonly used in China and among Chinese communities around the world.
Chinese Long Last Names
Chinese surnames can range from one to three characters in length.
Here are some examples of Chinese surnames that are relatively long (i.e., three characters):
- 欧阳 (Ōuyáng) – meaning “western sunshine”
- 司马 (Sīmǎ) – meaning “charioteer” or “wagoner”
- 诸葛 (Zhūgě) – a compound surname that combines the characters for “all” and “millet”
- 上官 (Shàngguān) – meaning “official in charge of the upper palace”
- 夏侯 (Xiàhóu) – a compound surname that combines the characters for “summer” and “marquis”
- 华佗 (Huátuó) – a compound surname that combines the characters for “Chinese” and “physician”
- 东方 (Dōngfāng) – meaning “east”
- 狄仁杰 (Dí Rénjié) – a compound surname and given name that is associated with a famous Tang dynasty official and detective
- 姬昌 (Jī Chāng) – a compound surname and given name that was used by a legendary ruler of the Xia dynasty
- 周仁王 (Zhōu Rénwáng) – a compound surname and given name that was used by a ruler of the Zhou dynasty.
These surnames are relatively uncommon but still used in China today.
Some of them are associated with famous historical figures or legendary rulers.
They can be seen as prestigious and carry a sense of tradition and cultural heritage.
FAQs – Chinese Last Names
What are common last Chinese names?
Here are some of the most common Chinese last names:
- Li (李)
- Wang (王)
- Zhang (张)
- Liu (刘)
- Chen (陈)
- Yang (杨)
- Zhao (赵)
- Huang (黄)
- Zhou (周)
- Xu (徐)
- Sun (孙)
- Hu (胡)
- Guo (郭)
- Ma (马)
- Gong (龚)
These last names are widely distributed throughout China and are commonly used among the Chinese population.
They represent a diverse range of cultural and linguistic heritage.
What is a rare Chinese last name?
A rare Chinese last name is 黄 (Huáng). It is listed as the 127th most common surname in China and is shared by approximately 0.5% of the population.
What are Royal Chinese surnames?
Royal Chinese surnames include 秦 (Qín), 汉 (Hàn), 高 (Gāo), 宋 (Sòng), 唐 (Táng), 梁 (Liáng), 陈 (Chén) and 王 (Wáng).
These were the historically powerful dynasties of China and their last names are still prevalent in the modern day.
Conclusion – Chinese Last Names
The Chinese last name is an integral part of Chinese culture and history, as it has been with many cultures around the world.
In China, a person’s surname is often used to trace their ancestry back hundreds of years.
It can also be used as a way to identify someone’s social class or rank in society.
While there are thousands of different surnames in China, each one comes with its own unique characteristics.
For instance, some surnames are closely related to geographical locations such as provinces or cities, giving an indication of where a family originated from.
Other surnames have strong links to the dynasties that ruled over China throughout its long history, with certain names being very common during certain eras and reigns.
Surnames can also be derived from professions that were practiced by ancestors of the family such as blacksmiths or farmers.
Another interesting characteristic of Chinese last names is how they are written in characters.
Uniquely, they are usually two characters combined together which form a new meaning when read together – this is known as compound characters.
Chinese characters also carry different meanings depending on which language they are read in – for example, written Mandarin Chinese has several dialects which slightly alter the meaning of words and phrases when changed into another dialect.
This means that some surnames can change their meaning depending on what language it is read in!
In summary, the use of Chinese last names has been part of the country’s culture for centuries and carries with it many interesting characteristics.
It can be used to trace ancestral roots and determine social classes amongst individuals.
Furthermore, unique writing styles incorporated within these characters often contain hidden meanings which may only be revealed through looking at them through different languages or dialects present within China today.
