The Most Popular and Common Chinese Names

Everyone would like to have a beautiful name. In China, a “meaningful” name is considered more important than a gaudy one. That’s why Chinese people pay great attention to what a certain given name “symbolizes” when deciding how to name their kids. In this article, let’s take a look at five popular characters and words that are often come across in Chinese names.

1. Wei

伟
Wěi

MEANING:

“grand”

This character can often be seen in traditional Chinese given names as it means “grand”. Many Chinese parents choose this character when thinking of names for their babies in that they would like their kids to make contributions to the society after they grow up. In addition, this character also implies that a person will be able to achieve great success in his or her career development. A typical Chinese name containing this character can be 王伟 (Wáng Wěi), in which 王 (Wáng) stands for the surname.

2. Qiang

强
Qiáng

MEANING:

“strong”

“强” (Qiáng) means “strong”, and that’s one of the main reasons why this character is a popular choice for male names in China. All parents would like their kids to have the ability to cope with setbacks when they are facing different kinds of predicaments, and this character reflects their wish for their kids to stay strong all the time. Similar to “伟” (Wěi), a traditional Chinese name containing “强” (Qiáng) can be “李强” (Lǐ Qiáng), in which “李” (Lǐ) is the surname.

3. Yi

怡
Yí

MEANING:

“pleasant”

When it comes female Chinese names, “怡” (Yí) is often one of the first characters that come to Chinese people’s minds. As has been mentioned above, a character’s meaning plays a tremendous role for people to decide whether or not it should be chosen to be part of a given name. “怡” (yí) means “pleasant”, and there is a Chinese word called “怡人” (yírén), which means “enjoyable” referring to fragrance or atmosphere. Therefore, this character can be seen in many Chinese girls’ names, such as “陈怡” (Chén Yí).

4. Hui

慧
Huì

MEANING:

“wisdom”

This character is ideal for both male and female names in that it means “wisdom”. In China, some parents would like their kids to be physically strong, whereas others hope that their kids can be considered smart by their peers and teachers. Consequently, “慧” (huì) is on a par with, let’s say, “强” (Qiáng) in terms of popularity.

5. Laidi

来娣
Láidì

MEANING:

“younger brother”

This given name is a bit obsolete and hence it’s popular among middle-aged Chinese women. “来” (lái) means “to come”, and “娣” (dì) stands for “弟弟” (dìdi), which means “younger brother”. In some areas of China, people from older generations prefer boys rather than girls. If a woman gave birth to a girl, her parents would name her “来娣” (Láidì) as they hope their second child could be a boy. However, young people in China are way more open-minded in comparison with the old generation, therefore, “来娣” (Láidì) can now hardly be considered a decent choice for female Chinese names.

To find out more interesting and useful Chinese vocabulary, check out one of our blog posts 5 Ways to Eat in Chinese: Takeouts, Dine-in and More