Chinese surnames: find your family name
Browse 100 Chinese surnames with their characters and Mandarin pinyin. Find a family name below, then open its Chinese-language guide for naming ideas.
Ten surnames to start with
Characters and Mandarin readings from our surname directory.
Chinese surnames A–Z by pinyin
Browse by Mandarin pinyin initial. Each entry links to its Chinese-language surname page.
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Choose a given name to go with the surname
Read the full name aloud, check the character meanings, and consider spelling and pronunciation in the languages your family uses. These guides cover compound surnames, unisex names, and distinctive combinations.
Find a given name for your family
Start with your surname and explore Chinese baby name ideas.
Find baby name ideasHow to read a Chinese family name
In the usual Chinese name order, the family name comes before the given name. In the illustrative name 王安 (Wáng Ān), 王 is the surname and 安 is the given name. Pinyin helps you read the Mandarin pronunciation; keep the Chinese characters when checking which name a spelling represents.
A surname may have more than one character. 欧阳 (Ōuyáng), for example, is a compound surname: keep both characters together when choosing the given name. Family spellings and pronunciations can differ, so confirm the form your family actually uses.
For more on name order and international forms, see W3C: Personal names around the world.