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Chinese names

Chinese name syllables

473 names

Chinese given names usually have two syllables. Each spelling below can stand for several characters; every syllable page shows the character options, dialect readings and meanings. See also Chinese name characters and the syllable of each era.

Names

About this list

Syllables are the units that make up a Chinese given name, such as Wei, Ling and Kok. One spelling can stand for several characters, and one character can be spelled differently by dialect, so each syllable page lists the possible characters with Mandarin and Cantonese readings and the meaning of each. The meaning of a full name depends on the characters the family chose, so we do not give one fixed meaning for a pair of syllables. Read the guide to Malaysian Chinese names for how Chinese names are written in Malaysia.

Frequently asked questions

Are the syllables here complete names?

Most Chinese given names combine two syllables, for example Wei Ling. The page for the full name lists the character options for both parts.

Where do the character meanings come from?

From the open character databases and dictionaries named on each page.