Our Chinese name database contains 1.890 Chinese surnames and 13.108 Chinese first names categorized by gender and frequency. After payment you can download the Chinese name database in CSV, SQL or JSON format. Asia is not very well organised and only have a few open data initiatives. The list of names from countries like China have a reasonable quality but are limited. The Chinese names are validated using official governmental databases we received in other countries which contained Chinese names as well. To create the Chinese name database we used 58.949 validated Chinese social media profiles. We have a detailed explanation of our methodology and illustrate our approach with several examples.

Popular Chinese surnames

This table show popular Chinese surnames. In China, the surname comes first when writing a person's name. It is typically one syllable and passed down through families. Family names are considered an important aspect of Chinese culture and are often used to indicate a person's ancestry or social status.

Surname Frequency*1 Percentage*1 Alternative countries*2
Wang 2.118 3.6% American Taiwanese British
Zhang 1.872 3.2% American British Canadian
Chen 1.531 2.6% American Taiwanese British
Liu 1.374 2.3% American Taiwanese British
Li 1.184 2.0% American British Canadian
Lee 1.129 1.9% American British South Korean
Yang 933 1.6% American Taiwanese British
Wu 779 1.3% American Taiwanese British
Huang 695 1.2% American Taiwanese British
Xu 690 1.2% American British Australian
  • *1 The Frequency and Percentage are based on 58.949 Chinese social media profiles.
  • *2 Alternative countries are countries where this surname also is used. They are sorted on popularity.

Chinese first names

In China, parents often choose a first name for their child based on traditional Chinese culture and values. They may consider factors such as the meaning of the name, the number of strokes in the character, and the pronunciation. Some parents also choose a name that sounds similar to the child's birthdate or astrological sign. Additionally, many parents will consult with a professional name selector or consult Chinese naming books to find a suitable name.

Popular Chinese male names

First name Frequency*1 Percentage*1 Alternative countries*2
David 490 1.3% American British Spanish
Jack 466 1.2% British American Australian
Kevin 442 1.2% American British Canadian
Jason 420 1.1% American British Canadian
Michael 408 1.1% American British German
Eric 370 1.0% American French Canadian
Alex 338 0.9% American British Spanish
Tony 319 0.9% American British Australian
James 313 0.8% British American Australian
John 305 0.8% American British Canadian
  • *1 The Frequency and Percentage are based on 58.949 Chinese social media profiles from which 37.398 (63%) is male.
  • *2 Alternative countries are countries where this first name also is used. They are sorted on popularity.

Popular Chinese female names

First name Frequency*1 Percentage*1 Alternative countries*2
Li 157 0.7% American British Brazilian
Amy 157 0.7% American British Canadian
Liu 149 0.7% American Brazilian Singaporean
Alice 136 0.6% British American Italian
Jane 135 0.6% British American Canadian
Lisa 133 0.6% American British Canadian
Anna 129 0.6% American British Spanish
Emily 119 0.6% American British Canadian
Jessica 112 0.5% American British Brazilian
Grace 111 0.5% American British Irish
  • *1 The Frequency and Percentage are based on 58.949 Chinese social media profiles from which 21.551 (37%) is female.
  • *2 Alternative countries are countries where this first name also is used. They are sorted on popularity.