Chinese names for men. Chinese names and surnames Popular names in China

The full naming of the Chinese always includes the surname (姓 - xìng) and given name (名字 - míngzì). And it is important to remember - the last name is always indicated before the first name.

Chinese surnames

Usually they consist of one character (hieroglyph). For example, the most famous ones are 李 - Lǐ (literally means "plum"), 王 - Wáng (literally "prince", "ruler"). But sometimes there are surnames made of two hieroglyphs. For example, 司马 - Sīmǎ (literally, "voivode" - "to rule" + "horse"), 欧阳 - Ouyáng.

Chinese names

They differ from European ones in that they are rarely repeated. In China there is no list of names at all. Parents themselves come up with names for their children. The choice of name can be influenced by certain traditions, family signs, and superstitions.

And yet, due to the large number of bearers of first and last names, a certain shortage of surnames arises. In addition, less and less surnames themselves are used. So, if earlier there were about 12,000 surnames, now there are about 3000. About 350 million people get by with just five surnames: Li, Wang, Zhang, Liu and Chen. Moreover, many people with the same last names also have the same first names. For example, in 1996, there were more than 2,300 people in Tianjin whose name was Zhangli, and who spelled this name the same way. And further more people, who wrote this name in different ways. This represents a serious inconvenience, since they can even arrest an innocent person, or close someone else’s account, or even perform an operation on someone who did not need it!

Some Chinese names can tell you whether they are masculine or feminine. But often you can’t guess from the name itself whether it belongs to a man or a woman.

Chinese names also consist of one or two. In transcription, it is customary to write the surname and first name separately. For example, Sīmǎ Qiān - Sima Qian.

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China is a country of unique culture. Their religion, traditions and culture are so far from ours! In this article we will talk about Chinese names, the choice of which in the Middle Kingdom is still treated with special trepidation.

Exclusivity did not save the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire; they did not escape the fashion for borrowed names. But even in this, the Chinese remained true to their traditions. They cleverly matched the “imported” names to the tone of their own. Elinna - Elena, Li Qunsi - Jones. There are even names with Christian origins. For example, Yao Su My means Joseph in translation, and Ko Li Zi Si means the name George.

In China, there is a tradition of giving posthumous names. They sum up the life lived and reflect all the deeds committed by a person in this world.

How to contact a resident of the Middle Kingdom?

Chinese addresses are somewhat unusual to our ears: “Director Zhang”, “Mayor Wang”. A Chinese person will never use two titles when addressing a person, for example, “Mr. President.” He will say "President Obama" or "Mr. Obama." When addressing a saleswoman or maid, you can use the word “Xiaojie.” This is similar to our "girlfriend".

Chinese women do not take their husband's surname after marriage. This does not interfere with “Mistress Ma” and “Mr. Wang” in life at all. These are the laws of the country. Foreigners are most often addressed by name, adding a polite title if they do not know the person’s profession or position. For example, “Mr. Mikhail.” And no middle name! He's simply not here!

The Chinese are the bearers of the great ancient culture. Although China is developed country, takes no last place on the world market, but it seems that the inhabitants of the sunny state live in some special world, preserving national traditions, own way of life and philosophical attitude towards the environment.

The Chinese naming system is the basis for many traditional ways of naming people in East Asia and South-East Asia. Almost all East Asian countries and some Southeast Asian countries follow a tradition similar to Chinese or directly borrowed from Chinese culture.

Variety of names on Chinese depends largely on the personal name rather than the surname. The vast majority of Chinese surnames are written with one hieroglyph, only a few - with two (in the PRC, official lists contain about 20 such “non-standard” surnames, while the rest were reduced to a standard monosyllabic form, including surnames of national minorities, often consisting of more than 2 syllables. The most common Chinese surnames: Li (Chinese: 李, pinyin: Lǐ), Wang (Chinese trad. 王, pinyin: Wang), Zhang (Chinese trad. 張, ex. 张, pinyin: Zhāng) :164 .

Chinese women tend to keep their maiden names when they get married and do not take their husband's last name (almost universally in the People's Republic of China). Children usually inherit their father's surname.

In Russian, a space is usually placed between the Chinese surname and given name: Surname Name, while the name is written together. In old sources, Chinese names were written with a hyphen (Feng Yu-xiang), but later the continuous spelling became accepted: 167 (correctly Feng Yu-xiang).

Name

Typically, Chinese people have names consisting of one or two syllables, which are written after the surname. There is a rule that a Chinese name must be translatable into Mandarin. Associated with this rule famous case, when a father, an avid Internet user, was denied registration of his son under the name “” (“this” or “dog”).

In connection with hieroglyphic writing, when choosing a personal name, not only such aspects as meaning and euphony are taken into account, but also the writing of the hieroglyphs that make up the syllables of the name. Not only the simplicity/complexity/beauty of writing can be taken into account, but also the elements that make up these hieroglyphs, which have their own interpretation (favorable/unfavorable, male/female, associated with a certain element, etc.).

In China, for thousands of years, there was a tradition of ritually changing names in connection with reaching a certain age or changing occupation. At birth, the baby received an official name ( min, 名) and “milk”, or children’s name (xiao-ming, Chinese translation 小名, pinyin: xiǎo míng). When entering school, the child was given a student name - Xueming(Chinese: 学名) or Xunming(Chinese: 訓名). Upon reaching adulthood, the parents gave the boy or girl the so-called “middle name” - it was by this name that strangers should henceforth be addressed. Upon successful passing of the exams, the person received Damin(Chinese 大名, " big name") or guanming("official name"), which was retained throughout life and used on formal occasions after the surname. For special merits, a representative of the nobility received a nickname (hao, Chinese translation 号, pinyin: hào).

With the formation of the People's Republic of China, the complex naming system underwent changes. The component composition of Chinese names has been seriously simplified. Along with imperial ranks and titles are a thing of the past - the second individual name - zi, nicknames behao , school names Xueming. Children's names are still used today, but the principles for choosing them have changed. After the introduction of the birth control policy in China, the system lost its significance paikhan .

Baby name

For example, Li Zhenfan (Bruce Lee) had baby name Li Xiaolong (Li Little Dragon), which later became his nickname.

Second name

Second name (字, zì) is a name given upon reaching adulthood (字, zì), which are used throughout life. After 20 years, the middle name is given as a symbol of growing up and respect. Initially, such names were used after male names; a person could receive a second name from his parents, from his first teacher on the first day of visiting family school, or he could choose a second name for himself. The tradition of using middle names gradually began to disappear since the May Fourth Movement (1919). There are two generally accepted forms of the middle name: Tzu 字 (zì) And Hao 號 (hào).

Nickname

Hao is an alternative middle name that is commonly used as a nickname. It most often consists of three or four characters and may have initially become popular because many people often had the same middle names. People most often chose Hao themselves and could have more than one nickname. Hao was in no way connected with the name given to the person at birth and his middle name; rather, the nickname was something personal, sometimes eccentric. The choice of pseudonym could embody an allusion or contain a rare hieroglyph, just as it could be suitable for a highly educated writer. Another possibility is to use the name of the person's place of residence as a pseudonym; thus, the pseudonym of the poet Su Shi is Dongpo Jiushi (that is, “Dongpo Residence” (“On the eastern slope”)) - the residence he built while in exile. Authors often used pseudonyms in the titles of collections of their works.

English-Chinese and Russian-Chinese names of overseas Chinese

The names of Chinese people who emigrated from China to other countries may undergo various transformations. One of the most common is adding a new English name to the Chinese first and last name. In this case, when translating into Russian, you should first go English name, then a Chinese surname, then a Chinese given name, despite the fact that the sequence is often written in English<английское имя><китайское имя><китайская фамилия>. Sometimes the sequence is written in English<английское имя><инициалы китайского имени><китайская фамилия>, while it is translated into Russian in the same sequence. A further transformation may be the disappearance of the Chinese name, and then both it is written in English and translated into Russian in the sequence<английское имя><китайская фамилия>. Chinese living in Russia often add to Chinese surname or to the Chinese surname and Chinese name the Russian first and patronymic, then it is written accordingly<китайская фамилия><китайское имя><русское имя><русское отчество>or<китайская фамилия><русское имя><русское отчество>.

In ancient times, the Chinese knew two types of surnames: family names (in Chinese: 姓 – xìng) and clan names (氏 – shì).

Chinese surnames are patrilineal, i.e. are passed on from father to children. Chinese women usually keep maiden name. Sometimes the husband's surname is written before one's own surname: Huang Wang Jieqing.

Historically, only Chinese men possessed xìng (surname), in addition to shì (clan name); women only had a clan name and took a xìng husband after marriage.

Before the Warring States Period (5th century BC), only the royal family and aristocratic elite could have surnames. Historically there was also a distinction between xing and shi. Xing were surnames borne directly by members of the royal family.

Before the Qin Dynasty (3rd century BC), China was largely a feudal society. As fiefs were divided and subdivided among heirs, additional surnames known as shi were created to distinguish seniority of descent. Thus, a noble could have both shi and xing. After the states of China were unified by Qin Shi Huang in 221 BC, surnames gradually passed down to the lower classes and the distinction between xing and shi became blurred.

Shi surnames, many of which survive to this day, originated in one of the following ways:

1. From xing. They were usually kept by members of the royal family. Of approximately six common xing only Jiang(姜) and Yao(姚) preserved as common surnames.

2. By imperial decree. During the imperial period, it was common practice for subjects to be given the surname of the emperor.

3. From the names of states. A lot of ordinary people took the name of their state to show their belonging to it or their national and ethnic identity. Examples include Dream (宋), Wu (吴), Chen(陳). It is not surprising that, thanks to the mass of the peasantry, they are one of the most common Chinese surnames.

4. From the name of the fief or place of origin. Example - Di, Marquess of Ouyanting, whose descendants took the surname Ouyang(歐陽). There are approximately two hundred examples of surnames of this type, often two-syllable surnames, but few survive today.

5. On behalf of the ancestor.

6. In ancient times, syllables Meng (孟), zhong (仲), shu(叔) and zhi(季) were used to denote first, second, third and fourth sons in a family. Sometimes these syllables became surnames. Of them Meng is the most famous.

7. From the name of the profession. For example, Tao(陶) – “potter” or Wu(巫) – “shaman”.

8. From the name ethnic group. Such surnames were sometimes taken by non-Han peoples of China.

Surnames in China are unevenly distributed. In northern China the most common is Wang(王), worn by 9.9% of the population. Then Lee (李), Zhang(张/張) and Liu(刘/劉). In the south the most common surname Chen(陈/陳), covering 10.6% of the population. Then Lee (李), Zhang(张/張) and Liu(刘/劉). On South Chen(陈/陳) is the most common, being shared by 10.6% of the population. Then Lee (李), Juan (黄), Lin(林) and Zhang(张/張). In the main cities on the Yangtze River, the most common surname is Lee(李) with 7.7% speakers. Followed by Wang (王), Zhang (张 / 張), Chen(陈/陳) and Liu (刘 / 劉).

A 1987 study found that there were more than 450 surnames widely used in Beijing, but there were fewer than 300 surnames in Fujian. Despite the presence of thousands of surnames in China, 85% of the population bears one of the hundred surnames, which make up 5% of the family stock.

A 1990 study found that 96% of people in a sample of 174,900 had 200 surnames, 4% had 500 other surnames.

The three most common surnames in mainland China are: Li, Wang, Zhang. They are worn by 7.9%, 7.4% and 7.1% of people respectively. This is about 300 million. Therefore, these three surnames are the most common in the world. In Chinese there is an expression "three Zhangs, four Lis" which means "any".

Most common surnames in China have one syllable. However, about 20 surnames have two syllables, e.g. Sima (司馬), Ouyang(歐陽). There are also surnames with three or more syllables. By their origin they are not Han, but, for example, Manchu. Example: last name Aisin Gyoro(愛新覺羅) of the Manchu imperial family.

In China, all namesakes are considered relatives. Until 1911, marriages between namesakes were prohibited, regardless of the existence of real family relations between them.

© Nazarov Alois

Below are Chinese male names list:

Chinese male names starting with A:

Chinese male names starting with B:

Bai – white
Bao – treasure, jewel
Bingwen – bright and cultured
Bo-wave
Bojing - delighted with victory
Bokin - respect to the winner
Bolin - big brother's rain
Bohai - Big Brother Sea
Bay – white

Chinese male names starting with the letter B:

Wei - greatness
Wage - great sage
Weiming – bringing greatness (to people)
Weisheng - born great
Weiyuan - preserving the depths
Wei – greatness or impressive energy
Wenceng – processing
Wenyan – purified and virtuous
Wuzhou - Five Continents

Chinese male names starting with G:

Ganges - prosperity
Gengis – true
Hong Kong is big or wild swan
Guang – light
Guangli – bright
Guaway - state
Gui – respected or noble
Guozhi – public order
Guoliang - a country can be kind
Guren - evaluation of favor

Chinese male names starting with D:

Yes - achievement
Delun - virtuous order
Deming - dignity
Janji – beautiful and outstanding
Jamming is a revolution
Jen - root
Gian - healthy
Jiang - Yangtze River
Jianguo - political system
Jianjun - army building
Jianyu - building the universe
Jing - capital (city)
Jingguo - State Manager
Jingjing - golden mirror
Jinhei - golden, sea
Dingxiang – stability and prosperity
Dong - eastern or winter
Donghei - eastern, sea
Duy – independent, integral
Day - tension

Chinese male names starting with J:

Zhiqiang – desire
Zhong – loyal, stable

Chinese male names starting with Z:

Zedong - living east of the swamp
Zemin - approved by people
Zengguang – magnifying light
Zian – peaceful
Zixin - faith
Zihao - heroic son
Zongmeng - who took Menkius as a model
Zen - surprised
Zengzhong – vertical and loyal
Zengsheng – maybe a government increase

Chinese male names starting with the letter I:

Iyngji - heroic
Iingpei – worthy of admiration
Yongzeng – vertical
Yongliang - bright
Yongnian - eternal years
Yongrui - always lucky

Chinese male names starting with the letter Y:

Yi – bright

Chinese male names starting with K:

Kang - prosperity
Ki – unprecedented
Kiang - strong
Kianfan - a thousand sails
Kikiang – enlightenment and strength
Kingshan – Celebrating Excellence
Qingsheng - birth celebration
Kiu - autumn
Xiaauen – filial, civic duty
Xianliang – decent brightness
Xiaobo is a little fighter
Xiaodan - a little dawn
Xiaojian - healthy
Xiaozi – filial thoughts
Xiaosheng – small birth
Xin – new
Xing – emerging
Xiu – grown
Xu – diligent
Xuekin - snow-white celery
Xueyu - diligent and friendly
Kuan – spring (water)

Chinese male names starting with L:

Lei - thunder
Li - vertical
Liang – bright
Liwei – receiving profit and greatness
Ling – compassionate, understanding
Liu – current
Longwei - the greatness of the dragon

Chinese male names starting with M:

Mengyao – can a child be as good and wise as Menkius and Yao
Mingli – bright appropriateness
Minj – sensitive and wise
Mingsheng - the voice of the people

Chinese male names starting with N:

Nianzu - reflecting on ancestors

Chinese male names starting with P:

Peng – roc bird (bird from legend)
Pengfei - bird flight
Ping – stable

Chinese male names starting with R:

Renshu – benevolent temperance
Rong – military
Ruthenium - scientist

Chinese male names starting with C:

Siyu – thinking about the world
Xiangjiang - circling in the air (like a bird)

Chinese male names starting with T:

Tao – big waves
Tengfei – promotion
Tingj - may the court be wise

Chinese male names starting with F:

Fa – outstanding
Fang - honest
Feng – sharp blade or wind
Fengj - Phoenix bird
Branch – waves
Fu - rich
Fuhua - prosperous

Chinese male names starting with X:

Hang - flood
Heng - eternal
Khi - yellow river
Hongki - red flag
Hongui - shine
Juan - happiness
Dicks - shine
Huojin – metal
Hey - sea

Chinese male names starting with the letter H:

Changming is always bright
Changpu - always simple
Ciao – excess
Chaoxiang - expecting prosperity
Cheng – achieved
Chenglei – big
Chongan - the world of the second brother
Chongkun - Second Brother Mountain
Chonglin - second brother's unicorn
Chuanli - transfer of appropriateness

Chinese male names starting with the letter Sh:

Shining - world
Shan - mountain
Shanyuan - top of the mountain
Shen – cautious or deep
Shi - front horizontal bar on a carriage or cart
Shirong - academic honor
Shoushan - Mountain of Durability
Shunyuan - next to the source

Chinese male names starting with E:

Eiguo - country of love, patriot
Enley - benefit

Chinese male names starting with the letter Yu:

Yu – friend
Yuanjun - owner of the Yuan River
Yun – brave
Yongxu - cloudy void
Yusheng - jade birth
Yusheng – steady and decisive

Chinese male names starting with the letter Z:

Yang is a model
Yangling - Swallow Forest or Beijing Forest
Yaozu - worshiper of ancestors
Yaoting – respect for the inner courtyard
Yaochuan - river worshiper