Chinese baby names

60 names with Chinese roots, each one with what it actually means. 3 of them are still given to 40 or more babies a year.

In common use

Given to at least 40 babies a year in the US or England and Wales.

  • Liangraceful willow or connected244 a year · the US, 2017
  • Jiaauspicious, beautiful, or praiseworthy18 a year · England and Wales, 2025
  • Meibeautiful; plum blossom13 a year · England and Wales, 2025

Rarer names

Fewer than 40 babies a year in either country — which often means a name in wide use somewhere the records do not reach.

  • Jingold or brocade
  • Xiaglow of the sunrise; rosy clouds
  • Mulanwood orchid
  • Junpure; handsome; obedient
  • Niangmother or young woman
  • Yichenrighteousness and sincerity; meaning varies by characters
  • Jiayiauspicious righteousness or similar virtue
  • Jianstrong, healthy, or sharp depending on characters
  • Yirighteousness, suitable
  • Tiansky; heaven; field
  • Yuchenjade morning or felicitous dawn
  • Meilibeautiful and graceful
  • Yifansuitable manner or joyful
  • Yuxijade; glow of the sunrise
  • Chenxidawn glow or morning light
  • Haogood, excellent, grand
  • Baotreasure; precious; protect
  • Chancommon surname; often means facilitator or mediator
  • Shunobedient; compliant
  • Yuemoon; beautiful
  • Taothe way, path, principle
  • Zhenprecious; virtuous; chaste
  • Zichenself-cultivation; purple morning
  • Xianimmortal or virtuous; graceful and noble
  • Chenmorning or dawn
  • Minvarious meanings depending on characters used
  • Yaohandsome or distinguished
  • Zhiwisdom or intention
  • Zihaowisdom and heroic or vast
  • Ziruiwisdom and auspicious
  • Zixuanwisdom and beautiful or selection
  • Haochenvastly morning; good morning
  • Jiaruiauspicious lucky; from elements jia and rui
  • Meilinbeautiful jade or beautiful forest
  • Zegrace or kindness; varies by character
  • Dongeast; common Chinese surname
  • Jiahaoauspicious and excellent
  • Jiamingauspicious and bright
  • Jiaqiauspicious and outstanding
  • Luvarious meanings in Chinese; often abbreviation
  • Meilingbeautiful spirit or beautiful ling
  • Mingbright; clear
  • Yutongjade and copper or thoroughfare
  • Lingraceful, beautiful; or form of Linden
  • Shukindness or warm
  • Xinyuhappy jade; happy rain
  • Yishanrighteous mountain; virtuous peak
  • Yitongrighteousness and unity; virtuous together
  • Zhiyuanwisdom and source or distance
  • Zipurple or character; name element
  • Ziyangpurple and sun or light
  • Ziyuepurple and moon
  • Xinhappy, joyful, or trustworthy
  • Yuetmoon or jade
  • Hengperpetual, constant
  • Wangraceful; gentle
  • Yiningsilver; a common Mandarin name element

Which of these would you actually choose?

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This page gathers names our sources describe as Chinese, Mandarin Chinese and Chinese/Japanese. Different eras of the same language, filed together.

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