Chinese Name Generator
Real Mandarin names written in pinyin, surname first, the way they're said in China. Choose names parents give today or names from the generation born between the 1950s and 1970s.
- Lin YuxiLin (林): forest
- Chen Yuxuan
- Sun Boyu
- Li LeiLi (李): plum
- Lu Qin
- Tang Zihao
- Yuan Yiran
- Chen Lei
- Lu Cuiping
- Han Anran
- Zhang Jingyu
- Luo Xinyu
- Guo Zhihao
- Zhou Jing
- Lin JianxinLin (林): forest
- Gao RuizeGao (高): tall, high
- Pan Yuhan
- Shen Tao
- Lu Yong
- Lin MengqiLin (林): forest
How a Chinese name works
The surname comes first and is almost always one syllable: Wang, Li, Zhang, Liu, Chen. After it comes a given name of one or two syllables, so Wang Haoyu is Haoyu of the Wang family. The generator keeps that order throughout. In pinyin the two syllables of a given name are written as one word (Haoyu, not Hao Yu), and this page leaves out the tone marks, as passports and most English-language writing do.
China has a small pool of surnames and a huge pool of given names. A Ministry of Public Security report found that Wang and Li each belong to more than 100 million people, which is why parents work hard on the given name to make a child stand apart. They choose characters for meaning and for how the whole name sounds with the surname, and the same pinyin can hide very different characters. Meanings are shown only where one set of characters is the obvious reading, like 浩宇 for Haoyu.
Compound surnames exist but are rare. Ouyang and Sima are two of the best known, and they show up here occasionally.
Chinese names by generation
Names in China date a person quickly. The modern list reflects the names registered most for recent babies: Haoyu, Haoran and Yuxuan for boys, Yinuo, Zihan and Xinyi for girls. Two-syllable given names dominate, and characters like zi, yu, han and ze turn up constantly, so much so that parents now complain about their kids sharing names with half the class.
The 1950s to 70s list has a different sound. Many boys of that era were named for the new state: Jianguo (build the nation), Weiguo (defend the nation), Guoqiang (a strong nation). Girls often got flower and virtue names such as Xiuying, Yulan and Hongmei, or a single syllable like Fang, Min or Jing. Use this style for parents and grandparents in a story set today.
Chinese names worth using
- Wang HaoyuThe most common surname with a boy's name that topped recent rankings; statistically, this is the boy next door.
- Li YinuoYinuo, a promise kept, has led girls' names in recent reports. Short, soft and easy for English readers.
- Zhang ZihanZihan was among the most registered girls' names of the late 2010s, and Zhang is the third most common surname.
- Chen YuxuanGiven to both boys and girls, so it suits a character whose gender you don't want to announce up front.
- Lin ChenxiMorning light paired with forest. A lovely image and a name that is genuinely popular with young parents.
- Liu HaoranHaoran suggests something broad and upright; a solid, very current name for a boy or young man.
- Zhao RuoxiRuoxi has a delicate sound that made it fashionable, partly thanks to period TV dramas.
- Huang MingxuanThree clear syllables in the given name area; bright-sounding and typical of boys born after 2010.
- Yang XinyiOne of the most given girls' names of recent years, so it fits a student or young professional.
- Wang JianguoBuild the nation. Unmistakably a man born in the 1950s, and a quiet piece of characterization in itself.
- Li XiuyingOne of the most widespread women's names in China for the older generation; ideal for a grandmother.
- Zhou GuoqiangStrong nation. The patriotic naming of the Mao years in one name, right for a father or uncle.
- Wu YulanYulan means magnolia; a graceful older woman's name that still sounds kind rather than stiff.
- Sun ZhiqiangStrong will. A plain, common man's name from the 1960s and 70s, good for a no-nonsense character.
- Ma HongmeiRed plum blossom, a flower that blooms in winter; a popular name for women born mid-century.
- Xu FangA single-syllable given name, very common for women now in their fifties and sixties.
- Gao WeiWei is one of the most common given names in the country, which makes this feel like a real person, not a character.
- Ouyang ZiyiA rare two-syllable surname gives the name an old, literary quality even with a modern given name.
- Deng YichenA modern boy's name that sounds calm and clean, suited to a thoughtful student character.
- Song WeiguoDefend the nation. Useful for a retired soldier, a stern official or a grandfather with opinions.
- Ye AnqiLeaf as a surname plus a gentle modern given name. It reads well aloud and is easy to spell.
Choosing a Chinese name that holds up
- Pick the generation first. A teenager named Jianguo or a grandmother named Zihan will look wrong to anyone who knows the naming trends.
- Keep the surname to one syllable unless you mean it. Compound surnames like Ouyang are real but uncommon enough to draw attention.
- Write the given name as one word in pinyin: Haoran, not Hao Ran or Hao-Ran. That's the standard mainland spelling.
- If you use characters, have a native speaker check them. Two names that sound identical in pinyin can mean completely different things.
- Taiwan, Hong Kong and older emigrant families often spell names differently (Chen may be Chan, Zhang may be Chang). Match the spelling to where your character is from.
Questions people ask
Does the surname come first in Chinese names?
Yes. Chinese names put the family name first and the given name second, so in Li Yinuo the surname is Li and the given name is Yinuo. Many Chinese people reverse the order in English-speaking settings, but in China it is always surname first.
What are the most common Chinese surnames?
Wang, Li and Zhang lead, followed by Liu, Chen, Yang, Huang, Zhao, Wu and Zhou, according to China's Ministry of Public Security. Wang and Li are each carried by more than 100 million people.
What are popular Chinese names for babies now?
Recent government name reports list Haoyu, Haoran, Yuxuan, Yuhang and Yuze among the top boys' names, and Yinuo, Zihan, Xinyi and Shihan among girls' names. Two-syllable given names with characters like zi, yu and han are very fashionable.
Why doesn't this page show tone marks?
Passports, most English-language media and the names people use abroad leave out tone marks, so Wáng Hàoyǔ becomes Wang Haoyu. Adding tones is only useful if you also know the exact characters, since the tones depend on them.
Are Chinese names gender-neutral?
Many are. Yuxuan, Zixuan, Chenxi and Tianyi are used for boys and girls, and older single-syllable names like Hui, Ping and Jun were given to both. The characters parents choose often lean a name one way or the other.
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Sources
Updated September 2026 · How these names are made