How to Give Your Baby a Chinese Name

Many of us put much thought, effort and research into naming our children - even believing that a name contributes to a child's destiny. The following steps will direct you to the meanings and spellings of some Chinese names for children.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Baby Names
• Genealogy Books
• Internet Access
• Computers
• Genealogy Software

1. Choose a name that signifies beauty. For girls, Mei means pretty, Xiaoli means small and beautiful, Meiying means beautiful flower, and Xiu Mei means beautiful plum.

2. Select a name that means strength and courage. For boys, Li means strong, Hu means tiger, Jing-Quo means ruler of the country, and Yong means courageous.

3. Opt for a name that has to do with nature. For girls, Lian means graceful willow, Lien means lotus, Yang means sun, and Yuk means moon. For boys, Howin means loyal swallow, Kong means sky, Lei means thunder, and Yu and Yue mean universe.

4. Decide on a happy, positive name for a child. For a girl, Ling means delicate and Yen means yearning. For boys, Ho means good, Liang means excellent, and Lok means happy.

5. Find a name that suggests honor and understanding. For girls, try Mani, which is a mantra in Buddhism to give understanding and meaning. For boys, try Shaozu, which means "bring honor to the ancestors."

Tips & Warnings

• Many Chinese names include two or three different words or characters to make a phrase. For example, a Chinese girl's name may include Ting, which means graceful; Hua, which means flower; or Yin, which means silver.
• Keep in mind that these names come from various parts of the country and can be derived from different cultures. The spellings and meaning may vary slightly from region to region - check with your family or other resources if this is important in naming your child.

on 3/15/2006 Chinese names are as personal as Western names. New Internet standards have made it possible to use names in Chinese characters for emailing purposes.

on 12/30/2005 Six years ago, I adopted a beautiful two-month old girl from China. Her original name was Ling Mei, which my husband and I changed to Lena Mei to honor my mother. She uses Lena as her first name and Mei as her middle name.