Looking for common Chinese names? Read on to get an overview of some of the most popular Chinese names.
China is one of the heavily populated regions of the world. Over the years the Chinese people have spread all over the world and the public has in some way or the other been introduced to the unique Chinese culture. Amongst the unique features of the Chinese cultures are Chinese names.
Common Chinese Surnames
When it comes to common Chinese names there is perhaps no name that is as popular as Lee. The Chinese name Lee is also written as Li. Big time movie stars like Bruce Lee and Jet Li have greatly contributed to popularizing this Chinese name. Today it seems as if Lee is by far the most common of all Chinese names around the world.
In reality however Lee is not the most common Chinese name out there. The Chinese name that tops the list is Chen. This is the same name that is often spelt as Chan in the English language. Second only to Chen is the popular Chinese name Lin and then follows Huang. All these names have very distinct Chinese associations and can be easily identified as originating from China. The names Zhang, Wang, Cai, Lui and Wu are also part of the top ten collection of most popular Chinese names.
As mentioned above China has a huge population. What is interesting to note is that more than fifty percent of that population have the above mentioned names either as their first name or surname.
But naturally there must be hoards of families and lineages amongst the huge population of China. Ironically you will find that fifty family names in total make up for ninety percent of the family names of the people of China. We are talking about more than a billion people!
Common First Names
When it comes to common Chinese first names we find the spectrum to be far broader than that of the surnames. Parents have an extensive library of Chinese names to choose from when naming their child. Unlike family names which are handed down through the generations and cannot be changed, parents have the free will to name their child with a name they like.
Generally parents seek to give their children names that carry good meanings. The Chinese writing system makes use of symbols that denote entire concepts and have a pronunciation as well. The list of most common Chinese first names is topped by the all popular often heard Chinese name “Wen”. This name translates as culture.
Zhi is probably second only to Wen in terms of popularity. This Chinese name means emotions. The short and simple Yi which actually sounds like its meaning which is “cheerful” is an often heard Chinese name. Ya meaning bright, Hui meaning smart, Ming meaning bright and Hong meaning great are amongst the most common Chinese names.
The above mentioned names are chosen according to the meaning that they carry. Parents choose a particular name with the hope that their child will develop those virtuous qualities that are present in the meaning of the name.
