There are many students in our class whose Chinese names are just translated from their original names. For distinguishing each individual, such a name is also okay but is just not native. In mainland China, the proportion of Han people accounts for more than 90%. So in this article, I will show you how international students can get a native Chinese name, like the Han people. The names of the Chinese mentioned in this article refer to the names of the Han people, the main population of the Chinese people.
1). Pieces of Knowledge of Native Chinese Names
Unlike the names of foreigners, the Chinese surname is usually in the front and the given name is in the back. Chinese names usually consist of two or three Chinese characters, and a small number of names contain four Chinese characters or more. Usually, the first word in the Chinese name is their last name, the latter word is their name, and a small number of people, the first two words are their last name, followed by their given name. The composition of Chinese names other than these two situations is very rare. If you name yourself other than these two situations, it will not be such native and will be strange.
Chinese children usually follow their fathers' surname or their mothers' surname. In mainland China, after marriage between men and women, women still maintain their last names and will not change to their husband's surname.
Many people in China may have the same surname in Chinese but different given names in Chinese, while most people abroad may have the same given name but a different surname. The Chinese name is relatively short and when the Chinese introduce themselves, they usually introduce their full names in Chinese.
To avoid getting a random Chinese name in your Chinese class, you'd better get a native Chinese name in advance.
2). The Most Common Native Chinese Given Names and Surnames for International Students
I asked my Chinese friend to find me the top 100 most commonly used Chinese surnames published by the Household Administration Center in 2020. And she told me that the population with the top five Chinese surnames accounts for more than 30 percent of the country's total population. In this top 100 list, whichever one you choose as your own last name, that will sound native. In this list, the last 15 surnames are with two Chinese characters, which sounds very classical, special, and cultural in the eyes of the Chinese. Chinese people like to use the surnames with two Chinese words in their ancient martial arts novels and television series. If you choose a 2-word Chinese surname for yourself, then it will be a bright spot I guess.
If you don't know the Chinese character at all, then you can find what you like based on his shape and the pronunciation behind it. Chinese surnames usually have no special meaning, so you don't have to dwell on the meaning of each name in Chinese.
The second column of Chinese characters in this table shows the given names which commonly used by Chinese men. From this column, you can choose one or two words as your given name. You can safely choose according to your preferences, as the given names list my Chinese friend has found for me are stylish, with a good meaning, and most commonly used.
If you are a girl, please choose one or two words from the third column of the list as your Chinese given name. And I promise you will have an elegant, beautiful Chinese girl’s name.
After you choose your last name and your first name, you can put them together in the order of surname in front and given name in the back, then you will get a perfect native Chinese name.
Serial No. | Surname | Pronunciation | Given Name for Male | Pronunciation | Given Name for Female | Pronunciation |
1 | 王 | wáng | 安 | ān | 贝 | bèi |
2 | 李 | lǐ | 彬 | bīn | 婵 | chán |
3 | 张 | zhāng | 斌 | bīn | 楚 | chǔ |
4 | 刘 | liú | 波 | bō | 迪 | dí |
5 | 陈 | chén | 伯 | bó | 娣 | dì |
6 | 杨 | yáng | 博 | bó | 娥 | é |
7 | 黄 | huáng | 灿 | càn | 菲 | fēi |
8 | 赵 | zhào | 超 | chāo | 斐 | fěi |
9 | 吴 | wú | 琛 | chēn | 涵 | hán |
10 | 周 | zhōu | 臣 | chén | 虹 | hóng |
11 | 徐 | xú | 辰 | chén | 华 | huá |
12 | 孙 | sūn | 宸 | chén | 欢 | huān |
13 | 马 | mǎ | 诚 | chéng | 环 | huán |
14 | 朱 | zhū | 承 | chéng | 佳 | jiā |
15 | 胡 | hú | 晟 | shèng | 娇 | jiāo |
16 | 郭 | guō | 驰 | chí | 婕 | jié |
17 | 何 | hé | 聪 | cōng | 瑾 | jǐn |
18 | 林 | lín | 达 | dá | 菁 | jīng |
19 | 罗 | luó | 东 | dōng | 晶 | jīng |
20 | 高 | gāo | 恩 | ēn | 婧 | jìng |
21 | 郑 | zhèng | 凡 | fán | 静 | jìng |
22 | 梁 | liáng | 飞 | fēi | 君 | jùn |
23 | 谢 | xiè | 峰 | fēng | 可 | kě |
24 | 宋 | sòng | 高 | gāo | 兰 | lán |
25 | 唐 | táng | 翰 | hàn | 岚 | lán |
26 | 许 | xǔ | 航 | háng | 蕾 | lěi |
27 | 韩 | hán | 豪 | háo | 丽 | lì |
28 | 邓 | dèng | 昊 | hào | 莉 | lì |
29 | 冯 | féng | 皓 | hào | 莲 | lián |
30 | 曹 | cáo | 桦 | huà | 琳 | lín |
31 | 彭 | péng | 辉 | huī | 灵 | líng |
32 | 曾 | zēng | 家 | jiā | 苓 | líng |
33 | 肖 | xiāo | 嘉 | jiā | 璐 | lù |
34 | 田 | tián | 建 | jiàn | 露 | lù |
35 | 董 | dǒng | 健 | jiàn | 曼 | màn |
36 | 潘 | pān | 江 | jiāng | 眉 | méi |
37 | 袁 | yuán | 杰 | jié | 梅 | méi |
38 | 蔡 | cài | 景 | jǐng | 美 | měi |
39 | 蒋 | jiǎng | 钧 | jūn | 梦 | mèng |
40 | 余 | yú | 俊 | jùn | 敏 | mǐn |
41 | 于 | yú | 骏 | jùn | 茉 | mò |
42 | 杜 | dù | 凯 | kǎi | 娜 | nà |
43 | 叶 | yè | 恺 | kǎi | 楠 | nán |
44 | 程 | chéng | 柯 | kē | 妮 | nī |
45 | 魏 | wèi | 克 | kè | 宁 | níng |
46 | 苏 | sū | 朗 | lǎng | 佩 | pèi |
47 | 吕 | lǚ | 雷 | léi | 萍 | píng |
48 | 丁 | dīng | 磊 | lěi | 琪 | qí |
49 | 任 | rén | 力 | lì | 琦 | qí |
50 | 卢 | lú | 良 | liáng | 千 | qiān |
51 | 姚 | yáo | 亮 | liàng | 芊 | qiān |
52 | 沈 | shěn | 凌 | líng | 倩 | qiàn |
53 | 钟 | zhōng | 龙 | lóng | 乔 | qiáo |
54 | 姜 | jiāng | 伦 | lún | 琴 | qín |
55 | 崔 | cuī | 民 | mín | 轻 | qīng |
56 | 谭 | tán | 明 | míng | 晴 | qíng |
57 | 陆 | lù | 鸣 | míng | 秋 | qiū |
58 | 范 | fàn | 铭 | míng | 蓉 | róng |
59 | 汪 | wāng | 南 | nán | 如 | rú |
60 | 廖 | liào | 朋 | péng | 茹 | rú |
61 | 石 | shí | 奇 | qí | 蕊 | ruǐ |
62 | 金 | jīn | 谦 | qiān | 莎 | shā |
63 | 韦 | wéi | 庆 | qìng | 珊 | shān |
64 | 贾 | jiǎ | 荣 | róng | 善 | shàn |
65 | 夏 | xià | 瑞 | ruì | 姝 | shū |
66 | 付 | fù | 睿 | ruì | 舒 | shū |
67 | 方 | fāng | 尚 | shàng | 思 | sī |
68 | 邹 | zōu | 胜 | shèng | 颂 | sòng |
69 | 熊 | xióng | 盛 | shèng | 婷 | tíng |
70 | 白 | bái | 树 | shù | 桐 | tóng |
71 | 孟 | mèng | 硕 | shuò | 婉 | wǎn |
72 | 秦 | qín | 泰 | tài | 薇 | wēi |
73 | 邱 | qiū | 威 | wēi | 唯 | wéi |
74 | 侯 | hóu | 巍 | wēi | 雯 | wén |
75 | 汇 | huì | 维 | wéi | 曦 | xī |
76 | 尹 | yǐn | 玮 | wěi | 霞 | xiá |
77 | 薛 | xuē | 卫 | wèi | 晓 | xiǎo |
78 | 闫 | yán | 文 | wén | 筱 | xiǎo |
79 | 段 | duàn | 贤 | xián | 辛 | xīn |
80 | 雷 | léi | 潇 | xiāo | 昕 | xīn |
81 | 龙 | lóng | 雄 | xióng | 歆 | xīn |
82 | 黎 | lí | 旭 | xù | 秀 | xiù |
83 | 史 | shǐ | 轩 | xuān | 璇 | xuán |
84 | 陶 | táo | 亚 | yà | 雪 | xuě |
85 | 贺 | hè | 言 | yán | 雅 | yǎ |
86 | 毛 | máo | 岩 | yán | 娅 | yà |
87 | 郝 | hǎo | 炎 | yán | 妍 | yán |
88 | 顾 | gù | 彦 | yàn | 瑶 | yáo |
89 | 龚 | gōng | 扬 | yáng | 伊 | yī |
90 | 邵 | shào | 阳 | yáng | 依 | yī |
91 | 万 | wàn | 尧 | yáo | 怡 | yí |
92 | 覃 | tán | 垚 | yáo | 艺 | yì |
93 | 武 | wǔ | 烨 | yè | 奕 | yì |
94 | 钱 | qián | 亦 | yì | 音 | yīn |
95 | 戴 | dài | 易 | yì | 英 | yīng |
96 | 严 | yán | 寅 | yín | 莹 | yíng |
97 | 莫 | mò | 勇 | yǒng | 颖 | yǐng |
98 | 孔 | kǒng | 宇 | yǔ | 瑜 | yú |
99 | 向 | xiàng | 昱 | yù | 羽 | yǔ |
100 | 常 | cháng | 裕 | yù | 雨 | yǔ |
101 | 欧阳 | ōu yáng | 元 | yuán | 玉 | yù |
102 | 上官 | shàng guān | 源 | yuán | 郁 | yù |
103 | 皇甫 | huáng fǔ | 远 | yuǎn | 喻 | yù |
104 | 令狐 | lìng hú | 岳 | yuè | 毓 | yù |
105 | 诸葛 | zhū gě | 越 | yuè | 园 | yuán |
106 | 司徒 | sī tú | 泽 | zé | 媛 | yuán |
107 | 司马 | sī mǎ | 哲 | zhé | 月 | yuè |
108 | 申屠 | shēn tú | 喆 | zhé | 玥 | yuè |
109 | 夏侯 | xià hóu | 振 | zhèn | 悦 | yuè |
110 | 贺兰 | hè lán | 峥 | zhēng | 芸 | yún |
111 | 完颜 | wán yán | 志 | zhì | 昭 | zhāo |
112 | 慕容 | mù róng | 智 | zhì | 贞 | zhēn |
113 | 尉迟 | yù chí | 洲 | zhōu | 真 | zhēn |
114 | 长孙 | zhǎng sūn | 卓 | zhuó | 珠 | zhū |
115 | 端木 | duān mù | 宗 | zōng | 梓 | zǐ |
3). How Should International Students Choose a Native Chinese Name?
No matter what kind of given name you choose as your Chinese name, you' better make it fits your gender so those who hear it will not be confused or feel weird. If you don't know whether a word is suitable for men, or for women, then you can ask your Chinese friends.
As a foreign student, writing your own Chinese name is not an easy task, so you can also choose some simple and memorable Chinese names from the beginning. Otherwise, by the time of the exam, your classmates have already written several questions, while you are still writing your own Chinese name lol.
You know, some Chinese pronunciation is very difficult for foreigners. To make it easy for your international friends to call out your name, you'd better choose some easy-to-pronounce Chinese characters.
When you have chosen your own name, you'd better ask your Chinese friend or Chinese teacher whether your name is appropriate. If they also think that's great, then you can take the name and use it from then on.
4). Mistakes to be Avoid when You Choose a Native Chinese Name
When you name yourself, please try to avoid using the names of some historical figures, celebrities, or superstars.
You'd better not give yourself a name that is too commonly used by many Chinese people. Imagine if you and one of your classmates use the same Chinese name, then how should the others distinguish you two? The easiest way to avoid this problem is to use two words as your given name instead of one. In this way, the repetition rate of the Chinese name will be much lower.
There are nearly 100 thousand Chinese characters, but only about 3000 characters commonly used by Chinese people in their daily life, which means that there is a large part of Chinese characters that even many Chinese people do not know. So, when you name yourself, please try to choose the words every Chinese knows. If you choose some words that most people don't know, then there will be some embarrassing situations.
It is also important that your name should not sound close to some strange word pronunciation. For example, there is a beautiful word called 碧池( bì chí ), if it doesn't sound like "bitch" in English, it would be a very nice Chinese female name.
You know, some Chinese characters have two or more pronunciations. Avoid such words when we take names. Because once people see your name, they will be confused when thinking about which pronunciation to speak out.
If you read this article carefully, then I promise you will get a very good Chinese name for yourself. Just put the words in the table I listed in a simple combination, then you will make it. Hope you won’t miss it!