Capital : Peking (Beijing)
Anhui (Anhwei), Beijing, Chekiang (Zhejiang), Fujian (Fukien),
Gansu (Kansu), Guangdong (Kwangtung), Guangxi-Zhangzu-Zizhiqu,
Hainan, Hunan, Henan (Honan), Hopei (Hebei), Hupeh (Hubei), Jiangsu
(Kiangsu), Jiangxi (Kiangsi), Kirin (Jilin), Qinghai (Tsinhai),
Sichuan (Szechuan), Kwangi-Chuang (Guangxi-Zhuangzu-Zizhiqu),
Kweichow (Guizhou), Liaoning, Zhejiang, Ningxia-Huizu-Zizhiqu,
Shanxi (Shansi), Shaanxi (Shensi), Shandong (Shantung), Xinjiang-Uygur-Zizhiqu,
Yunnan, Inner Mongolia (Nei Monggol Zizhiqu), Tibet (Xizang)
One of the earliest inhabitants of China was the hominid 'Sinanthropus
pekinensis' or Beijing man, in the Lower Palaeolithic period.
Remains of 'pre-Chinese' or 'unspecialised' Mongoloids dating
from the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic have also been found and
there is now evidence for Neolithic culture in Northern China.
The first recorded rulers were mythological figures were described
as half human, half animal, and credited with domesticating animals
and inventing farming. The last of them, Shun, is traditionally
believed to have appointed as his successor a man called Yu who
was the founder of the Xia dynasty for which there is some archaeological
evidence. In legend, the Xia were overthrown by the Shang but
there are no confirmed dates although a site which may be the
royal cemetery of the Shang Emperors has been found near Anyang
in the Xiaotun enclave.
During this period, the Zhou people lived north of the Wei river
at the edge of Shang authority. They were later to produce a series
of emperors traditionally ruling from 1122-256 BC after King Wu,
the son of Wen, the Earl of the west, was given a heavenly mandate
to save the people from the last, wicked, Shang ruler and overthrew
the Shang dynasty. The dynasty began with the Western Zhou rulers
who expanded their land rapidly by conquest and enfeoffment to
gain influence over much of Northern China and made expeditions
against non-Chinese peoples outside their territory. In 771 BC,
the capital, Hao, was overrun by northern tribes in alliance with
rebel Chinese and the last of the Western Zhou, King You, was
defeated. The capital moved east to Luoyang under the Eastern
Zhou dynasty. At this stage China consisted of about fifteen important
feudal states such as Qi and Jin and many smaller fiefdoms.
The state of Qin rose to provide the first national dynasty and
the feudal states were replaced by a non-hereditary, bureaucratic
administration. The First Emperor, Cheng, inherited the Qin throne
in 246 BC aged about 13 and did not gain full power until the
fall of chief minister and regent Lu Buwei in 237 BC. Cheng is
associated with the building of the Great Wall of China and his
splendid tomb was guarded by an army of terracotta warriors. His
son was dominated by his tutor, the eunuch Zhao Gao and forced
to commit suicide. His successor, Cheng's grandson Ziying, had
Zhao Gao killed but was captured by rebels and executed.
The Han Dynasty ruled for four centuries and established the pattern of politics, religion, economics and social life in China but lost power to a triumvirate of generals in 189 AD. Their Three Kingdoms were followed by three hundred years during which China was never under the total of one dynasty until it was reunited under the Sui dynasty in 589. This period saw the beginnings of Buddhism in China. The first Sui emperor was deposed by his son, who attempted to regain the control of Korea and Manchuria which had been established by the Han.
The failure of this campaign and internal rebellion contributed
to the end of the dynasty but the empire was recreated under the
Tang dynasty established by the military leader Li Yuan. He was
forced to abdicate in favour of his younger son, Li Shimin, who
claimed that his brother, the heir apparent, Li Jiancheng, was
plotting against him. As Emperor Taizong, Li Shimin consolidated
the rule of dynasty and established state schools and the examination
system. His two elder sons, Li Chengqian and Li Tai, proved unsatisfactory
as heirs and he was succeeded by Li Zhi as the Emperor Gaozong.
During Gaozong's reign, the Chinese state expanded even further,
including the capture of Koguryo (north Korea) which became a
Chinese protectorate. As he was only twenty years old on his succession,
Gaozeng was heavily influenced by officials of the previous reign
and the sudden rise to power of his father's concubine Wu Zhao,
who bore him several children, led to her becoming virtually sole
ruler when his health deteriorated after 660. She retained power
during the reigns of two of Gaizong's sons and in 690 usurped
the throne which she kept until her death and the restoration
of former Emperor Zhongzong in 705.
Her grandson, the Xuanzong emperor, came to power in 712 and changed
most court officials for men of his own choice, many of whom had
served under Empress Wu. He attempted governmental, military and
financial reform but increasing tensions at court made this difficult
and by the 740s Li Linfu, a member of the imperial clan, gained
influence to the extent of being virtually a dictator. The emperor
increasingly withdrew from politics to pursue Buddhist enlightenment
and the family of his favourite concubine, Yang Guifei, was given
important positions at court. The rebellion of general An Lushan
led to the establishment of a court in exile in Chengdu where
the Emperor fled and his son, rallying opposition to the rebels
in the northwest, usurped the throne.
The late Tang period never regained the glory of the earlier reigns
although some financial improvements were made. The emperors were
unable to gain real authority over their ministers and when Xuanzong
died in 888, neither of his successors could take power and Zhu
Wen, a former lieutenant, declared an independent state under
the Liang Dynasty in the north.
The period from 907-60 is known as that of the Five Dynasties
and Ten Kingdoms. The country was divided in two with the north
coming under the rule of five dynasties and the south being divided
into ten regions. In 960, a general from the fifth northern dynasty
established the Song or Northern Song empire which ruled most
of China. The capital moved to Kaifeng on the Grand Canal and
although many of the Tang dynasty's practices continued, the military
came under governmental control and the system of bureaucratic
examination and recruitment was improved.
After years of unrest, the Tungusic Jurchen people who were ancestors
of the Manchus invaded China in 1125, deposing the last Song Emperor,
Huizong and ruling as the Jin Dynasty until falling to the Mongols
in 1234. In the south, the resistance movement focused on a son
of Huizong who became the Gaozong emperor. He established his
capital at Hangzhou and gained control of the whole of southern
China. The Southern Song Dynasty was conquered by the Mongol Yuan
Dynasty in 1279 and the country was reunified. Opinion is divided
over whether the Mongol period was a disaster or a blessing for
the native Han Chinese but there was certainly enough resentment
to expel them in favour of the Ming dynasty under Zhu Yuanzhang,
the Hongwu emperor, in 1368.
The reigns of Hongwu and his grandson, saw increased maritime
exploration and administrative reform. Technology began to develop
and there was a trend towards urban living. The dynasty failed
to cope with internal challenges and a peasant rebellion of 1644
brought the Manchu Qing Dynasty to power. Although recent interpretations
have concentrated more on the similarities between the Ming and
Qing and the collaboration of the Chinese aristocracy with the
Manchu who were considered to be barbarians, the Chinese were
a conquered and subjugated people during this period. After 1645,
Chinese men were forced to adopt the Manchu hairstyle, a pigtail
at the back and a shaved forehead, an order which was strongly
resisted.
The last emperor, Xuantong, whose personal name was Pu'i, became
a puppet of the Japanese after their invasion of Manchuria but
was deposed in 1912.
Modern China remains a Communist state although there are still
public protests against the regime, including that of Tiananmen
Square.
| y- (as in "yes") |
| h- (as in "hot") note: slightly more aspirated than in English |
| ch/zh- (as in "jeweler") |
| c- (like the "ts" in "it's high", but with a strong puff of breath) |
| j- (as in "Jeff") |
| q- (like the "ch" in "cheese") |
| x- (like the "sh" in "sheep" |
| -a (as in father) |
| -an (like the sounds of "John" or "ahn") |
| -ang (like the sound of "an" above (ahng) with the addition of "g") |
| -ai (as in "high") |
| -ao (as in "how") |
| -ar (as in "bar") |
| -o (like "aw") |
| -ou (like the "ow" in "low" |
| -ong (like the "ung" in "jungle" with a slight "oo" sound) |
| -e (sounds like "uh") |
| -en (like "un" in "under") |
| -eng (like the "ung" in "lung") |
| -ei (like a long "a" or the "ei" in "eight") |
| -er (like the "er" in "herd") |
| -i (like a long "e" or the "i" in "machine") |
| -in (as in "bin") |
| -ing (like "sing") |
| -u (like the "oo" in "loop") |
| -un (as in "fun") |
| Ni (sounds like "knee") |
| Hao (sounds like "how" with a little more aspiration) |
| Dong (sounds like "doong" |
| Qi (sounds like "chee") |
| Gong (sounds like "gung") |
| Tai (sounds like "tie") |
| Ji (sounds like "gee") |
| Quan (sounds like "chwan") |
There are over fifty ethnic minorities in China although Han Chinese
are in the majority so names can be found in different versions.
Transliteration into Pinyin, the system used for writing Chinese
in Western script, can also lead to variations.
Most Chinese names consist of three elements, words or characters.
The surname or family name comes first, then the generation name.
This is given to all children in a family, brothers, sisters and
cousins, and is often taken from a poem which has been used by
the family for many generations. Last comes the personal name
which is carefully chosen to make a favourable meaning when combined
with the generation name. Single element names do occur when the
generation name is not used. Elements or characters can be used
for boys or girls - flower names are not necessarily female, for
instance. I have made separate lists for males and females according
to which gender the person I've come across with each name belongs.
Male |
Female |
| An - peace | Hong - red |
| Ao - chrysanthemum | Hua - flower |
| Dá - high position | Lian - lotus |
| Dà - big | Li - beautiful |
| De - virtuous | Mei - beautiful |
| Hua - magnificant | Qin/Chin - musical instrument |
| Ju - proud | Qing - blue |
| Qiang/Chiang - strong | Shu - good |
| Tai - peace/healthy | Wan - beautiful |
| Wen - scholar | Xia - cloud |
| Wu - military | Xiao - small |
| Xiong - hero | Ying - flower |
| Zhi - ambitious | Yue - moon |
Boys are usually given names with meanings to do with strength, wealth and patriotism. A boy can be known by several different names during his life. As a baby, he is given a 'milk name', then a 'book name' when he goes to school and later a marriage name, a professional name and perhaps an everyday name used by family and close friends.
| Ah-Cy | Ai-De | An-Shi | An-Te-Hai | An-Yi | Bai-Luo |
| Baio | Bang | Bao-Qing | Bao-Tian | Bei | Biao |
| Bin | Bing-Zhang | Bing-Zhong | Bin-Ying | Bing | Bing-De |
| Bor-Zeng | Bu-Wei | Cai-Fei? | Ch'ang-Chieh | Chang | Chang-Lit |
| Chang-Wei | Chang-Yong | Chao | Chao-Yang | Chee-Hwa | Cheh |
| Cheng-En | Cheng-Gong | Cheng-Hao | Cheng-Ho | Cheng-Ji | Cheng-Qian |
| Cheuk-Yan | Cheung | Chia-Ch'ing | Chiah-Jen | Chia-Kang | Chia-Liang |
| Chiang-Hui | Chien-Shih | Chih | Chih-Hsiung | Chih-Tui | Chi-Ming |
| Ching-Wei | Chin-Yau | Ching | Chong-Yee | Cho-Yun | Chua-Kah |
| Chuk-Yan | Chun-Hua | Chung | Chut-Sai | Cong | Dai-Lin |
| Dan-Zu | Dao-Zi | Da-Xia | Decheng | De-Shi | De-Wei |
| Ding-Bong | Dong | Dongdo-Pa | Dong-Hua | Dong-Po | Dou-Guan |
| Dou-Wan | Du-Yang | En-Lai | Er | Fa-Hsien | Fa-Tang |
| Fai | Fei | Fei-Hsien | Feng | Feng-Linag | Feng-Yi |
| Fo-Hian | Fook | Fu | Fu-Chi | Fu-Po | Gah-Fat |
| Gan | Gang | Gang-Sheng | Gao | Ghi-Cheng | Gin-Fan |
| Gong | Gong-Sun | Gu | Guan-Cai | Guan-Xiu | Guang |
| Gui | Gui-Fan | Gui-Fei | Guo | Guo-Dong | Guo-Fang |
| Guo-Feng | Guo-Liang | Guo-Ning | Guo-Qing | Guo-Quiang | Hai-Dong |
| Hai-Feng | Hai-Liang | Han | Hang-Fu | Hang-Ki | Han-Wu |
| Hao | Hao-Hing | He | Hen-To | He-Ping | Hiang-Ta |
| Hi-Yuan | Ho | Hong-Bin | Hong-Bo | Hong-Quan | Hongwu |
| Hoo-Gwo | Ho-Win | Hou | Hou-Kang | Hsiao-Lou | Hsi-Chuen |
| Hsien-Feng | Hsi-Men | Hsin-Pei | Hsin-Ping | Hsin-Ta | Hsu |
| Hsuang-Tsung | Hsueh-Liang | Hsui-Chen | Hsui-Chuan | Hu | Hua-Ding |
| Huai-Yi | Huai-Yu | Huang | Huang-Di | Huang-Fu | Hui |
| Hung | Hung-Chang | Hung-K'uei | Huo-Tu | Hwen-Thiang | Hwui-Ning |
| I-Po | I-Tsing | Jai-Guo | Jang-Lu | Jen-Djieh | Jen-Kan |
| Jen-Ta | Jhong-Shun | Ji | Ji-An | Jian | Jian-Cheng |
| Jian-Gang | Jian-Gun | Jian-Guo | Jian-Ying | Jiao-Long | Ji-E |
| Jin | Jing-Bo | Jing-Quo | Jing-Sheng | Jing-Shuan | Jin-Guo |
| Jing-Yu | Jing-Zhong | Jin-Song | Jing | Jiong | Jiu-Ling |
| Jo-Hsi | Joong | Joy-Shan | Ju-Ao | Ju-Long | Ju-Yi |
| Ju-Zheng | Jun | Ka-Fei | Kai-Ge | Kai-Shek | Kai-Xi |
| Kang | Kang-Xi | Kao-Kan | Kaong | Ka-Pa | Ke-Huy |
| Kee | Kei-Thing | Keng-Chi | Keung | Ke-Yong | Ke-Yue |
| Kian-Tat | Kian-Zhi | Kien | Kien-Lung | Ki-Tong | Koi-Sho |
| Kol-In-Sen | Kong | Kuan | Kuang-An | Kuang-Yin | Kuan-Tai |
| Kuan-Yew | Kuang | Kun | Kung | Kung-Zheng | Kwang-Chih |
| Kwan-Yew | Lai-Hsiang | Lan-Fang | Lan-Quing | Lang | Lao |
| Lao-Che | Lao-Sheng | Lau-Po | Lee Tai Hoi | Le-Song | Liang |
| Liangde | Liang-Hsi | Lian-Wei | Li-Ben | Li-Chi | Li-Cong |
| Lieh | Lien-Ying | Ling-Lai | Li-Ping | Li-Ren | Liu-Chun |
| Liu-Liang | Li-Xue | Li-Zhi | Li-Zhu | Loo | Lu |
| Lu-Fang | Lung | Luo-Han | Luo-Lang | Luo-Shan | Lu-Po-Teh |
| Lu-Shan | Ma-Huan | Man | Man-Keung | Mang | Mao |
| Mao-You | Mei | Mei-Shan? | Mei-Shio | Min | Ming |
| Ming-An | Ming-Hoa | Ming-Jiang | Ming-Yu | Min-Zhong | Mi-Yuan |
| Mo | Mo-Ruo | Mun-Wah | Ni | Ning | Ning-Qing |
| On | Pang | Pao-Tzu | Pei | Peng | Pi-Ao |
| Pie-Qi | Pin-Zhen | Po-Fu | Pok-Too | Po-Sin | Pu-Feng |
| Pu-La | Qian | Qian-Fu | Qian-Gui | Qian-Hua | Qi-Chang |
| Qi-Chao | Qi-Chen | Qing-Lai | Qing-Nian | Qi-Zhen | Quan |
| Qu-Bing | Quiang | Qui-Li | Quon | Ren-Qing | Run-Ming |
| San-Gui | San-Pao | See-Tong | Shan | Shan-Bo | Shang-De |
| Shan-Tang | Shao-Qi | Shao-Zu | She | Shen | Sheng |
| Shi-Fa | Shi-Fu | Shih-K'ai | Shi-Kai | Shi-Lin | Shi-Min |
| Shing | Shi-Ping | Shi-Yu | Shou-Chien | Shou-Feng | Shou-Xin |
| Shuan-Yan? | Shu-De | Shu-Yaan? | Shu-Yen | Si | Si-Dao |
| Si-Xun | Song | Sun-Wei | Su-Shun | Su-Wu | Sy-Ing |
| Sze | Szeto | Ta-Heng | Tai Fat | Tai Hoi | Tai Sun |
| Ta-Kai | Tai | Tak-Hing | Tak-Keung | Tak-Wai | Tan |
| Tan-Ming | Tao | Tat | Te | Teh-Huai | Ti-An |
| Tia | Tian-Bai | Tian-Yun | Tien-Kai | Tin-Jong | Tong |
| To-Wai | Tse-Tung | Tsing | Tso-I | Tso-Lin | Tsu-Wee |
| Tu-An | Tu-Fu | Tung | Tung-Chi | Tuo-Zhou | Tyan-Yu |
| Tze-Meng | Tzu-Jao | Tzu-Yu | Wai-Ho | Wan-Fang | Wan-Fu |
| Wang-Fen | Wan-Ling | Wei | Wei-Fang | Wei-Guo | Wei-Hong |
| Wei-Kang | Wei-Liang | Wei-Qian | Wei-Qiang | Wei-Quo | Wen |
| Wen-Hua | Wen-Huan | Wen-Zhong | Wing | Wing=Chiu | Wing-Fung |
| Wing-Kit | Wing-Tat | Wu | Wu-Han | Wu-Ji | Wu-Jiang |
| Wu-Sheng | Wu-Shiun | Wu-Shun | Xian | Xian-Gan | Xiang-Ling |
| Xian-Yao | Xiao-Gang | Xiao-Mei | Xiao-Peng | Xiao-Shuang | Xiao-Wei |
| Xiao-Xuan | Xiao-Yan | Xie-Li | Xi-Ku | Xi-Wang | Xin |
| Xin-Fang | Xing-Fu | Xing-Hua | Xing-Li | Xing-Peng | Xing-Yun |
| Xiong | Xu | Xuan-Ling | Xue-Liang | Xue-Qin | Xu-Gang |
| Xun | Yang | Yang-Cheng | Yan-Hao | Yao-Bang | Yao-Pang |
| Yao-Qing | Yat-Sen | Ye | Yen-Ti | Yeow-Whye | Ye-Qing |
| Yee | Yi | Yi-Da | Yifu | Yi-Ke | Yi-Lin |
| Yi-Mou | Yin-Fat | Ying-Hua | Yin-Reng | Yin-Ti | Yin-Tou |
| Yin-Xiang | Yin-Zhen | Yi-Ping | Yi-Xiao | Yo | Yok-Sing |
| Yong | Yong-Hong | Yong-Zhan | Yoo-Ngan | You-Cheng | You-De |
| You-Liang | You-Yi | Yu | Yuan | Yuan-Zhang | Yue-Jiu |
| Yue-Rong | Yuk | Yun | Yun-Qi | Yu-Shu | Yu-Wei |
| Yu-Xing | Yu-Zeng | Yu-Zhang | Zai-Shuo | Ze-Dong | Ze-Min |
| Zhang-Sung | Zhao-Dao | Zhao-Ji | Zhao-Jun | Zhen-Bang | Zheng-Xin |
| Zheng-Ze | Zhen-Ying | Zhi | Zhi-Bin | Zhi-Fu | Zhi-Gang |
| Zhi-Huan | Zhi-Jan | Zhi-Jun | Zhi-Peng | Zhi-Qiang | Zhi-Xin |
| Zhong | Zhong-Qi | Zhong-Shan | Zhong-Shu | Zhong-Xian | Zhong-Yan |
| Zhong-Yi | Zhu | Zhu-Lan | Zhuo-Cheng | Zi-Cheng | Zi-Jun |
| Zi-Xing | Zi-Yang | Zong-Ming | Zong-Yuan | Zuo-Lin | Zuo-Qian |
Girls are traditionally given names with meanings associated with
grace, beauty and gentleness such as huan - beautiful,
mei - enchanting, hu - flower, -ting - graceful,
feng - phoenix, ring or yin - silver although
this custom is becoming less common.
The novelist Jung Chang was originally named 'Er-Hong' or 'Wild Swan' as this used part of her mother's name. With a different pronunciation, this also meant 'Faded Red' - not an auspicious title for a young member of the communist party - so this was later abandoned.
| Ah-Ch'ou | Ah-Chu | Ah-Lam | Ai-Ling | An | An-Mei |
| An-Xi | Bao | Bao-Yu | Ben-Xu | Bik | Cai |
| Cai-Yun | Ch'ui-Hsia | Ch'un-Hsiang | Chen | Chin-Chiao | Chin-Chih |
| Ching | Chu-Hua | Chun | Chun-Hsia | Chun-Hsiang | Chun-Lan |
| Chun-Ping | Chwun-Hwa | Chwun-Yu | Ci-Xi | Da-Xia | Dan |
| Dao-Ming | De | Dina | Ding | Donglu | Dou |
| Dou-Wan | Er-Hong | Fang | Fang-Hua | Fei | Feng |
| Foh | Fu-Gin | Gaik-Hong | Gschu | Gui-Fei | Hai-Xia |
| Hai-Ying | He-Man | Ho | Hong | Hong-Miao | Hong-Yan |
| Hseuh | Hsing-Hsing | Hsiu-Feng | Hsui-Ying | Hua | Huan |
| Hu-Lan | Hui | Hui-Fang | Hui-Lan | Jai | Jeak-Ling |
| Jiang-Kui | Jia-Ni | Jian-Kui | Jian-Ping | Ji-Hong | Jing |
| Jing-Mei | Jing-Shin | Jing-Wei | Jing-Yi | Jing-Zhi | Jin-Hua |
| Jin-Shan | Jue-Feng | Jui-Juan | Jun | Jung | Jung-Jie |
| Jy-Ying | Kit Ling | Kuei-Fen | Kwan | Lai | Lan |
| Lang | Lao-Shih | Lei | Li | Lian | Lian-Hua |
| Lien | Lien-Ying | Li-Hua | Li-Juan | Li-Jun | Li-Li |
| Lili | Li-Min | Li-Ming | Li-Na | Lin-Do | Ling |
| Ling-Juan | Lin-Wei | Li-Ping | Lin | Liu-Hong | Li-Ya |
| Lu | Mao | May-Ling | Mei | Mei Lin | Mei-Chu |
| Mei-Chuan | Mei-Hua | Mei-Kai | Mei-Li | Mei-Lian | Mei-Ling |
| Mei-Shio | Mei-Su | Mei-Xing | Mei-Ying | Mei-Zhen | Mei-Zhu |
| Memg | Miao-Yin | Min | Min-Luong | Ming | Ming-Zing |
| Mo-Chou | Mu | My-Lai | Nai-Jian | Nan | Nan-Nan |
| Nine | Niu-Niu | Nu-Wa | Nui | Pao-Pao | Pei-Hsi |
| Pei-Jun | Pei-Pei | Phan-Hue | Ping | Qing | Qiu-Ju |
| Qiu-Rui | Qui | Quing | Qun | Ran-Ting | Rong-Fang |
| Rou-Wan | Rui-Hong | Rui-Ping | Ru-Ping | Sa-Kota | Sang-Wa |
| Shan-Lee | Shao-Yan | Shi-Ting | Shoshana | Shou-Yun | Shu-Kian |
| Shu-Ting | Song-Lian | Su-Chen | Su-Chu | Suet-Lin | Sung-Lee |
| Su-Yin | Su-Yuan | Szu | Szu-Zhan | Tai-Hoi | Tan-Hung |
| Te-Ling | Ting | Ts'ui-Fang | Tsai-Chin | Tse | Tung-Mei |
| Tzu-Hsi | Wai-Ting | Wan | Wei | Wei-Hong | Wei-Li |
| Wei-Min | Wei-Yan | Wen | Wen-Hua | Wen-Jiing | Wen-Jing |
| Wen-Rong | Weng | Woei-Wan | Xiang | Xiao-Bo | Xiao-Cheng |
| Xiao-Jie | Xiao-Jun | Xiao-Lan | Xiao-Li | Xiao-Mei | Xiaoming |
| Xiao-Niao | Xiao-Xian | Xiao-Xing | Xiao-Ying | Xide | Xi-Lan |
| Xin | Xing-Jiang | Xiong-Hong | Xiu-Lan | Xiu-Mei | Xiu-Min |
| Xiu-Ying | Xue | Xue-Di | Xue-Mei | Xuer-Nei | Xu-Hu |
| Xu-Xa | Yan | Yan-Hong | Yan-Jun | Yan-Mei | Ya-Ping |
| Yehonala | Yi | Yi-Ku | Yin | Ying | Ying-Tai |
| Ying-Ying | Yi-Xuan | Yong | Yong-Mei | Yong-Tai | Yuan |
| Yuan-Yuan | Yue | Yue-Feng | Yue-Qin | Yu-Ling | Yu-Mei |
| Yung-Ping | Yun-He | Yun-Ping | Yu-Shiou | Yu-Zhu | Zan |
| Zhao-Ying | Zhen | Zhen-Li | Zhi-Chao | Zhi-Hong | Zhuo |
| Zi |
In China, the family name always comes before the personal name. It usually consists of a single character although there are some with two. There are relatively few surnames in existence in modern China - only about 3000 for the whole country - and almost 90% of the population is accounted for by the hundred surnames listed in the ancient 'Bai Jia Xing' or 'Book of A Hundred Surnames'.
| An | Ang | Au | Ba | Bai | Ban | Bao | Bi |
| Bian | Bo | Cai | Cao | Chan | Chang | Chao | Chen |
| Cheng | Cheung | Chew | Chiang | Chien | Chieu | Chin | Ching |
| Chio | Choe | Choi | Chong | Chou | Chow | Chu | Chua |
| Chuko | Chung | Cong | Cui | Da | Dai | Dee | Deng |
| Ding | Dong | Dun | Dung | Ec | Eng | Fa | Fan |
| Fang | Feng | Fok | Fong | Fu | Gao | Ge | Geng |
| Go | Goei | Gong | Gu | Guan | Guao | Guo | Han |
| Hang | Hao | He | Ho | Hong | Hoong | Hor | Hou |
| Hsaio | Hsi | Hsieh | Hsu | Hsueh | Hu | Hua | Huang |
| Hui | Huie | Hung | Huo | I | Jia | Jianbua | Jiang |
| Jiao | Jin | Joe | Jong | Joo | Ju | Jue | Jung |
| Kan | Kao | Ke | Khoo | Kim | King | Koh | Kong |
| Kui | Kun | Kung | Kwan | Lai | Lam | Lan | Lang |
| Lau | Lee | Lei | Leong | Lew | Li | Liang | Liao |
| Lim | Lin | Ling | Liu | Lo | Loh | Lok | Lopan |
| Lou | Lu | Lum | Lung | Luo | Ma | Mah | Mao |
| Mar | Mei | Men | Meng | Mi | Ming | Mo | Mok |
| Moy | Nan | Ng | Ngui | Ni | Ning | Niu | Ong |
| Ou | Ou-yang | Ow | Pai | Pan | Pao | Pei | Peng |
| Phan | Pi | Ping | Qi | Qian | Qin | Qiu | Qu |
| Quan | Quian | Ren | Sa | Sang | See-to | Sen | Sha |
| Shang | Shao | Shen | Shi | Shih | Shiu | Shuang | Shui |
| Si-ma | Song | Su | Sui | Sun | Tah | Tan | Tang |
| Tann | Tao | Teng | Teoh | Thean | Thian | Thien | Thum |
| Ti | Tian | Tieh | Tong | Toy | Ts'ai | Tsai | Tsang |
| Tseng | Tsung | Tu | Wan | Wang | Wei | Wen | Wie |
| Wong | Woo | Wu | Xia | Xiang | Xiao | Xie | Xin |
| Xiong | Xiu | Xu | Xue | Xun | Yan | Yang | Yao |
| Yap | Ye | Yee | Yei | Yen | Yep | Yi | Yin |
| Ying | Yip | Yo | Yu | Yuan | Yue | Yuen | Yun |
| Zeng | Zhai | Zhan | Zhang | Zhao | Zheng | Zhou | Zhu |
| Zong | Zou |
Manchurian names are more likely to have multiple characters such
as 'Aixinjueluo Taochun'.
| Abahai | Dodo | Dorgon | Heshen | Nurhaci | Vertai |
| Wen Chang m | literature | ||
| Kwan-Yin/Guanyin f | mercy |
Return to Oriental Names index
This collection of names compiled by Kate Monk. Copyright January
1997, Kate Monk. Last updated February, 98. Copies may be made
for personal use only.