How to Find Out the Meaning of a Chinese Name
Traditionally, Chinese names consist of a surname and a given name, with the surname written before the given, such as: Hu Jintao (胡"涛). In this example, Hu is the surname, Jintao the given name. There are only a small number of surnames used in China. Two syllables are used for the given name, either of which can mean just about anything. For girls, a popular name is Mei (妹), which means "beautiful." Other female names may indicate flowers, birds, jewels or attributes like elegance or kindness. Male names might mean glory, wisdom, power, or be the names of ancestors or animals.
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Things You'll Need
- Name written in Chinese characters
- Computer with Internet access
- Chinese-English dictionary or Chinese name book
Instructions
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Determine the Chinese character for the name. This will make it easier to get an accurate translation of the name.
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Visit a database of Chinese surnames, such as http://www.yutopian.com/names/, which offers an easily searchable database of names, particularly surnames. Names are organized by the number of strokes in the Chinese character.
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Count the number of strokes used in the character (from two to 17). For example, Li (Chinese: 李) is written in 7 strokes.
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Find the name and meaning under the number of strokes used to write it. For example, you'll find Li under the 7-stroke category, and learn that it means "pear."
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Tips & Warnings
For given names, there are thousands of options, and not all may be available online. One option is http://www.names-meanings.net/names/female-chinese. Names here are listed in alphabetical order in English. Or consult a Chinese name book, such as "Best Chinese Names" by Liu Xiuyan (Asiapic, 2002).
You can double-check a name's meaning in a Chinese-English dictionary. Many Chinese names are translations of common words. Ai (爱), for example, means "love."
Try to find the Chinese character for the name, since some names can have multiple English spellings. For example, both Li and Lee are written in Chinese as 李.
