Chinese name Sun. Chinese female and male names and surnames - history of origin. Chinese male names starting with the letter Sh

Fact one. The surname is written first.

The Chinese have their surname written and pronounced first, that is, the head of China, Xi Jinping, has his surname Xi and his first name Jinping. The surname is not declined. For the Chinese, all the most important things are “moved forward” - from important to less significant, both in dates (year-month-day) and names (last name-first name). The surname, belonging to the clan, is very important for the Chinese, who draw up family trees up to the “50th generation.” Residents of Hong Kong (South China) sometimes put their name forward or use an English name instead of a Chinese name - for example, David Mak. By the way, about 60 years ago in Chinese studies, the use of a hyphen was actively practiced to indicate the boundary of Chinese syllables in names: Mao Tse-tung, Sun Yat-sen. Yat-sen here is a Cantonese recording of the name of a southern Chinese revolutionary, which often confuses Sinologists who are unaware of the existence of such a dialect.

Fact two. 50 percent of Chinese people have 5 main surnames.

Wang, Li, Zhang, Zhou, Chen - these are the five main Chinese surnames, the last Chen is the main surname in Guangdong (South China), almost every third one is Chen. Wang 王 - means "prince" or "king" (head of the region), Li 李 - pear tree, the dynasty that ruled China in the Tang Dynasty, Zhang 张 - archer, Zhou 周 - "cycle, circle", ancient imperial family, Chen 陈 - “old, aged” (about wine, soy sauce, etc.). Unlike Westerners, Chinese surnames are homogeneous, but the Chinese give free rein to their imagination when it comes to names.

Fact three. Most Chinese surnames are monosyllabic.

Two-syllable surnames include the rare surnames Sima, Ouyang and a number of others. However, a few years ago, the Chinese government allowed double surnames, where the child was given the surname of both the father and mother - which led to the emergence of such interesting surnames as Wang-Ma and others. Most Chinese surnames are monosyllabic, and 99% of them can be found in the ancient text "Baijia Xing" - "100 surnames", but the real number of surnames is much larger, almost any noun can be found among the surnames of the 1.3 billion Chinese population.

Fact four. The choice of a Chinese name is limited only by the parents' imagination.

Chinese names are mainly selected according to their meaning, or according to the advice of a fortuneteller. It’s unlikely that you would guess that each hieroglyph belongs to one or another element, and all of them together should bring good luck. In China there is a whole science of choosing a name, so if the name of the interlocutor is very strange, then most likely it was chosen by a fortuneteller. It is interesting that previously in Chinese villages a child could be called by a dissonant name in order to deceive evil spirits. It was assumed that evil spirits would think that such a child was not valued in the family, and therefore would not covet him. Most often, the choice of name preserves the old Chinese tradition of playing with meanings, for example, the founder of Alibaba is named Ma Yun, (Ma - horse, Yun - cloud), however, "yun" in a different tone means "luck", most likely his parents invested His name has this exact meaning, but sticking out anything or speaking openly in China is a sign of bad taste.

Fact five. Chinese names can be divided into masculine and feminine.

As a rule, for men's names they use hieroglyphs with the meaning of "study", "mind", "strength", "forest", "dragon", and for women's names they use hieroglyphs for flowers and jewelry, or simply the hieroglyph "beautiful".

Chinese names. Chinese surnames. The meaning of Chinese names and surnames. The most common first and last names in China. Chinese have European names. A beautiful Chinese baby name or nickname.

01/08/2018 / 05:42 | Varvara Pokrovskaya

The Chinese are the largest nation on earth with an ancient culture. However, their names - Li Qian, Mao Dun, Huang Bojing - sound exotic to a Russian person. It is also interesting that in China it is customary to change one's name during one's life, in connection with various important events or life stages. Let's figure out what's special about Chinese names and how they are translated into Russian.

Chinese surnames, what's special about them

The Chinese began using surnames before our era. At first they were available only to members of the royal family and aristocracy. A little later, ordinary people began to use a surname along with their given name, which passed from generation to generation.

In the beginning, surnames had two meanings: “sin” and “shi.” The first concept was used among close blood relatives. It was only for the highest Chinese nobility and the imperial family. The second concept, shi, was used by ordinary Chinese to designate the entire clan, and even later - for people with the same occupation.

In modern China, the list of surnames is very limited. It does not go beyond the “Baiqiaxing” table, which translated means “One Hundred Surnames” (although there are actually more than one hundred, but still not that many).

Chinese surnames usually have one syllable. In writing they look like one hieroglyph. Their origins are different. So, some came from the type of activity (for example, Tao is a potter), others - from the names of states that formed the basis of modern China (for example, Yuan). But all foreigners were called Hu.

After marriage, a woman often does not take her husband’s surname, but leaves her maiden name, or takes her own and her husband’s double surname. In written form it looks like this: maiden name + husband's last name + proper name.

For example, 李王梅丽. The first character, 李, is Li's maiden name, the second, 王, is her husband's surname, Wang, and the last characters are the proper name, which sounds like Meili in Russian (literally "beautiful plum").

Children generally inherit their husband's surname, but not necessarily. They can also be recorded in the mother's surname.

The most common Chinese surnames

Interestingly, the first two surnames on the list (Li and Wang) are borne by more than 350 million Chinese.

Chinese names - Chinese names

The surname and first name in China are written together, and in exactly this order - first the surname, then the first name. This is all because the Chinese are very sensitive to their ancestors and their own roots. In old chronicles, the surname and first name were written down with a hyphen, but never separately.

Just a few decades ago, a child could be called a dissonant, even nasty, name, including for the Chinese. This was done in order to scare away evil spirits. They will think that the family does not like the baby and will not bother him. We're talking about names like:

• Tedan - iron egg;
• Goushen - leftover dog food;
• Goudan - the missing dog egg.

Parents called their children such scary names that the Chinese government had to issue a separate order, according to which the baby should not be given a name with the hieroglyph:

• death;
• dead body;
• excrement;
• debauchery (mistress, seduction, kept woman);
• a curse;
• anger.

Nowadays everything has changed. But in some places (mainly in villages) this tradition is preserved in the form of household nicknames or children's names.

The name of the citizens of the Celestial Empire rarely means an object, it is mainly an epithet. Popular Chinese names are most often two-syllable, i.e. consist of two hieroglyphs.

There are no grammatical, spelling or other differences between male and female Chinese names. There is a division by gender, but it is based on meaning.

For a boy, parents choose a name that symbolizes:

• wealth;
• physical superiority: strength, tall height, quick reaction;
• character traits: honest, smart, diligent, honoring ancestors;
• high goals: discoverer, scientist, patriot, recipient of greatness;
• nature: one who worships the river, the top of the mountain, the wind, the sea;
• ancestors and cult objects: Yangtze River, rain (sea) of the elder brother, golden mirror.

Often the name reflects kind parental advice. It is known that when Yue Fei, who later became a general and national hero of China, was born, swans landed on the roof of his house. There was a whole flock of them. The boy's mother wished that her son would fly just as far and high. It was decided to name the newborn Fairy, which translated means “flight.”

• The parents call the girl a beautiful euphonious name, meaning something beautiful:
• Precious stones: pearl, jasper, refined jade;
• Flowers: morning jasmine, rainbow orchid, small lotus;
• Weather conditions; a little dawn, an autumn moon, the morning color of a cloud;
• Intellectual abilities: intelligent, clear wisdom, indigo;
• Attractive appearance: beautiful and prosperous, charming, graceful;
• Natural objects: Beijing forest, swallow, spring flower, cloud.

Popular male Chinese names

Beautiful Chinese names for girls

Ai - love	Liling - beautiful jade bell
Venkian - purified	Mei - plum
G - pure	Ehuang - beauty of August
Jiao - beautiful	Shan - grace
Jing - abundance	Nuying - flower girl
Ju - chrysanthemum	Row - tender
Zhaohui - clear wisdom	Ting - graceful
Ki - beautiful jade	Fenfang - fragrant
Kiaolian - experienced	Hualing - heather
Qingzhao - understanding	Shihong - the world is beautiful
Xiaoli - morning jasmine	Yun - cloud
Xiaofan - dawn	Yanling - forest of swallows
Xu - snow	Huizhong - wise and loyal

Change of names

In the Celestial Empire, for many years there was a tradition of changing one's name upon reaching a certain age.

At birth, the baby was given an official name (“ming”) and a child’s name (“xiao-ming”). When he went to school, the child's name was replaced by the student's name - “xueming”. After passing the exams, a person received another name - “guanming”, by which he was addressed at celebrations or important holidays. The representative of the nobility also has a “hao” nickname.

Most of the names are not currently used in China. Gone are the student “xueming” and the official “guanming”. Children's names and nicknames are still used.

Features of children's and school names in China

A child's (milk) name is used only by close relatives within the family circle. If desired, parents give the newborn, in addition to the official first name, one more name. But this is optional. Dairy's name is very similar to our pet nickname.

Previously, immediately after the birth of a baby, the father or other relative went to the seer in order to find out the fate of the child. This was especially common in rural areas. If she predicted that the baby would be threatened by something in the future, such as fire, then she had to give a baby name associated with water. Conversely, if fate was destined to fear water, the child received a milky name associated with matches, fire or flame.

Sometimes parents named the child with a child's name, which is often found among monks. It served as a talisman for him.

Nowadays, a milk name, as a rule, emphasizes some individual traits, the child’s appearance, contains parental parting words, or is simply a beautiful poetic word.

The most beautiful Chinese baby names

• Hun - rainbow;
• Lee is a small dragon;
• Chunlin - spring forest;
• Chunguang - spring light;
• Dun is a warrior's shield.

When a child went to school, the teacher (less often parents) gave him his school name. It was used in all documents throughout his school life. The name most often reflected the intellectual or physical abilities (disadvantages) of the student. Now in the PRC the school name is not used.

Chinese second name

When a Chinese man reaches marriageable age (20 years for boys and 15-17 years for girls), he receives a middle name (“zi”), by which friends, relatives, and neighbors address him.

Changing your name is a whole ritual. The guy puts on a hat, stands in front of his father and he names him. Daughters put a hairpin in their hair, and then the procedure for changing their name is the same. Interestingly, a girl changes her name most often during an engagement.

Tzu includes two hieroglyphs, and is based on the name given at birth and complements it. For example, the middle name of the great statesman Mao Zedong is Zhunzhi. Both names translate as “beneficial.”

Sometimes the middle name signifies the birth order of the child in the family. To do this, use hieroglyphs:

• Bo - first;
• Zhong is the second;
• Shu - third;
• Ji is for all other children.

Beautiful Chinese names (middle name)

• Bo Yan;
• Mende;
• Taibai;
• Pengju;
• Kunming;
• Zhongni;
• Zhongda;
• Zhunzhi;
• Xuande.

Nickname in China

Well-educated people, representatives of the nobility in China still had the nickname hao. They could choose it themselves. This name was used as a pseudonym, and consisted of three, four or more hieroglyphs. Most often they chose rare hieroglyphs or the name of the entire city (village, region) where the person was born. For example, the nickname of the poet Su Shi was Dongpo Jiushi - the name of the mansion in which he lived while in exile.

Hao did not reflect the first or second name in any way. This is something deeply personal. The nickname is very popular among scientists and writers.

Borrowing names from other languages

Modern parents in the PRC, as indeed in any other country, often call their children a beautiful, but unusual name for the cultural tradition of the country. The basis for this is the shortened form of the foreign name. The most commonly borrowed names are:

• Eastern: Amber, Alibey, Mohammed;
• Celtic: Bryn, Dylan, Tara;
• French: Olivia, Bruce;
• Slavic: Nadin, Vera, Ivan;
• Indian: Believed, Opal, Uma;
• Italian: Donna, Mia, Bianca;
• Greek: Angel, George, Selena;
• German: Charles, Richard, William.

So, if you happen to meet Lee Gabriella or Go Uma, don't be especially surprised.

Below are the list of Chinese male names:

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 - big or wild swan
Guang - light
Guangli – bright
Guaway - state
Gui – respected or noble
Guozhi - state 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 - building an army
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 - strong 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 - the 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 an example
Yangling - Swallow Forest or Beijing Forest
Yaozu - worshiper of ancestors
Yaoting – respect for the inner courtyard
Yaochuan - river worshiper

The peculiarity of Chinese culture lies in its distinct identity from European ones. The country developed for several millennia in conditions of isolation from the outside world. This has contributed to the fact that the Chinese have their own opinion about the simplest concepts, which seem insignificant to a Westerner.

Chinese female names carry meaning, and according to legends they can influence a person’s life. It is also worth mentioning that not only the name itself plays a special role in the Celestial Empire, but also the process of its change.

The influence of traditions on the choice of name

The difference between Chinese culture and Russian or any European culture is the difference in attitude towards a person’s surname and given name. In China, the surname has always played a big role; when meeting people, they call it first. Even an address to a person with whom the relationship does not allow frivolity should contain the last name.

Most Chinese surnames have one syllable. In writing they look like one hieroglyph. The accepted list, according to which surnames were previously distributed, contained only a hundred possible options. Today this list is much larger, but more than 90% of surnames in China are made up of just 10 distinct variants.

But when choosing names, there are almost no restrictions. The main criterion that modern parents pay attention to is sonority. The child is given names consisting of one or more hieroglyphs, which may have the meaning of denoting a concept, object, feeling or color.

Meaning of names

The meaning of the name has been a very serious life guide throughout the history of the development of Chinese civilization. It could mean that a person belongs to any caste or clan. Parents tried to name the child the way they would like his life to develop. Since China is a country with strong religious influences, parents often chose sacred words or entire sentences as names.

There are cases when strongly religious people called their children extremely repulsive concepts. One of the popular names in the 16th-18th centuries was “Goushen”; when parsing it into individual words, you can make up the sentence “Scraps from the dog’s table.” Not the most pleasant nickname for meeting new people. However, this was done only for the benefit of the child; it was believed that evil spirits would not touch a person whose fate was so bad that he was so named.

In order to somehow limit the not always healthy imagination, the government had to create a special list that prohibited the use of certain symbols in the compilation. It includes hieroglyphs related to the following concepts:

• Death.
• Waste products.
• Hint of sexual innuendo.

Today no one calls a person this way anymore, realizing that this can greatly complicate his life. Children can be given so-called “milk”, which serve as affectionate addresses from family to the baby. Or, over time, a person acquires qualities because of which he will be treated accordingly.

Female names list

Girls in China are mostly named after beautiful concepts that don't need any further explanation. The basis is:

• Names of precious minerals.
• Flowers.
• Things and events surrounding a person, such as dawn or the moon.
• Human qualities.

• Ai – love.
• Liling is a jade bell.
• Venkean is a pure girl.
• May - Plum.
• Ehuang is a beautiful August.
• Shan - so much grace.
• Zhaohui is simple wisdom.
• Fenkfan – fragrant.
• Kiaolian is someone who has been through a lot.
• Yanling - swallow forest.

The number of suitable options exceeds several thousand. Because a slight change in one syllable can completely change the meaning of a word.

Male Chinese names

For boys, since ancient times, meanings have been chosen that symbolize:

• Provision of life's goods.
• Physical qualities.
• Character qualities.
• Noble goals and professions.
• Landscape elements.
• Parting words.

It is very interesting and original when a person reaches certain heights in things associated with his name. A very beautiful legend is widespread in China, according to which the mother of General Yue Fei named him that way when a whole flock of swans landed on the roof during childbirth. She chose a hieroglyph for it that means “flight.” The general became famous for his lightning-fast reaction and the mobility that his troops possessed.

Possible options:

• Bingwen – bright.
• Bay - light.
• Xiu – thinking about the environment.
• Yusheng – active.
• Liwei is the owner of greatness.
• Yun is brave.
• Demin is a merciful soul.
• Jaemin - Coup.
• Lao – Mature.
• Xu – responsible.

*If desired, you can use male characters in female names. It became popular in the context of growing feminism.

Chinese surnames

The modern system allows a child to inherit the surname of either parent. This system is similar to the one used in Russia. Mostly the child takes the father's surname, but sometimes the mother's.

10 most common Chinese surnames:

1. Wang.
2. Zheng.
3. Zhao.
4. Zhou.
5. Xun.

It is difficult to imagine that there are more than 400 million people in the Celestial Empire alone who have the first two surnames.

How many surnames are there in China?

Due to the difficult situation associated with the small variety of surnames, the state registry, which provides a list of possible options, has been expanded. Previously, it included only one hundred characters that could be written, but now this number has been increased several times. However, this reform will not be able to solve the current situation, when approximately one tenth of the Chinese population has the surname “Li”.

Popular Chinese names

The spirit of the times has always been a decisive factor determining all aspects of fashion. According to the census, certain sets of characters are popular, such as:

Men's

• Mingli is dazzlingly light.
• Wenyan is gentle with others.
• Lay - thunder.
• Minsch is sensitive and wise.
• Janji is attractive.
• Xanling is not empty beauty.
• Zen is exciting.
• Xiobo is a short warrior.
• Zangzhon is tall and soft.
• Dzengshen – someone who wants to achieve more.

Women's

• Xiozhi is a small rainbow.
• Xiokin - light blue.
• Zhu - a lot.
• Hua – happiness.
• Xioli – young jasmine.
• Rulin - latent jade.
• Xiolian is a young lotus.
• Xiatong - morning bell.
• Xiaphan - dawn.
• Maoning is a great victory.

Chinese rare names

There are several thousand Chinese names; their large number does not allow us to rank the rarest ones. There are even those that are present in one copy. This may be a specific set of characters, such as "Waosinjonghareto". If you literally translate it, you get “Born in the morning in a village near the yellow river.” And there are hundreds of such options.

The ones that attract more attention are those that, in their writing, may seem common to residents of China but may be unique to Russians. The following combinations have become the heroes of many jokes and funny stories:

• Sun Wyn.
• Chew Yourself.
• Get up Sun.

Chinese names in English

A big problem when learning the ancient Chinese language is the lack of letters and some combinations of sounds. Therefore, it is much more difficult for the Chinese to pronounce people’s names that are unfamiliar to them. But this matter is much easier for them. The wide variety of phonetic tools that can be used to transcribe Chinese names allows you to pronounce them almost like a native speaker.

Transcription:

• Hua - Hua.
• Lei - Lei.
• Xun - Sun.
• Xanling - Ksanling.
• Demin - Demin.
• Ksiozhi - Ksiozhi.
• Maoning - Maoning.
• Zen - Dzen.
• Xiobo - Ksiobo.
• Dzengshen - Dzengshen.

It's actually quite simple. It is enough to know the English alphabet.

Russian female names

The Chinese writing system is somewhat limited in the variety of sounds. There is no alphabet in the Celestial Empire; it is replaced by a syllabic system for composing words. This causes problems for the Chinese because they are not used to pronouncing certain sounds found in other languages. Therefore, the Chinese pronounce and write some foreign names in such a way that even the owner cannot always immediately recognize his name.

Russian female names:

• Alexandra - Ali shan de la.
• Alice - Ay li sy.
• Anastasia - An na sy ta si ya.
• Nastya - Na sy jia.
• Valentina - Wa lun ti na.
• Veronica - Wei lo ni ka.
• Galina - Jia Li Na.
• Evgenia - E fu gen ni ya.
• Elizabeth - Ye Li Zai Wei Ta.
• Christina - Ke Li Si Ji Na.

The first time you hear such a name, you will simply think that the Chinese are simply communicating with each other.

Do the Chinese have middle names?

The Chinese do not have a middle name, but they do have “Hao”. This is a nickname that a person takes for himself to highlight his individuality. The tradition of taking hao dates back to ancient times. This is how monarchs tried to stand out at court. Hao often passed from father to son.

Chinese second name

After reaching a certain age, 20 years for men and 15-17 years for women, the Chinese acquire the nickname "Zi". It is used to address neighbors, close friends and relatives. This can be called a family nickname, which is not mentioned in documents.

Unique Features

Almost all Chinese surnames consist of only one syllable. They originate from the time of the birth of the tradition of inheritance. Rulers gave rise to surnames related to power, and artisans took hieroglyphs from the name of their type of activity.
Women do not change their surnames after marriage. However, they can modify it by adding the hieroglyph for husband.

Combination of first and last name

The sound of Chinese surnames and given names is very important. Carefully selected syllables should be combined into a harmonious sentence, which parents think about for a long time. Even a wedding is not a reason to change your last name.

Names that define character

Chinese characters that define character have become popular. The Chinese believe that a person’s fate is determined by their name, which is why the following hieroglyphs have become popular:

• G - Lucky.
• Hu - Lioness.
• Xiong - Talent.
• Shu – justice.

You can list them until the evening, because any adjective in Chinese can become a name.

Names associated with beauty

The main feature of female names is that they should make the girl more beautiful and interesting. That's why the following have been popular for centuries:

• Ganghui - Irresistible.
• Lilzhan - Beauty.
• Meixiu – grace.
• Meiron is a success.
• Lihu - August.

Gems and female names

Also popular are Chinese characters denoting valuable minerals and metals, such as:

• Jin is gold.
• Ubi is an emerald.
• Mingjo – pearl.

They are usually a complement for creating names. A good example is the name "Lilin", which translates to beautiful jade.

Change of names

Upon reaching a certain age, in China it is customary to give various names - nicknames that are used when addressing loved ones. These include:

• Min. Basics.
• Sao-min. The baby's childhood nickname.
• Sue-min. School nickname.
• Gong-min. Student.
• Hao. Possible nickname.

However, only the Ming was noted in official Chinese documents.

Fact one. The surname is written first.

The Chinese have their surname written and pronounced first, that is, the head of China, Xi Jinping, has his surname Xi and his first name Jinping. The surname is not declined. For the Chinese, all the most important things are “moved forward” - from important to less significant, both in dates (year-month-day) and names (last name-first name). The surname, belonging to the clan, is very important for the Chinese, who draw up family trees up to the “50th generation.” Residents of Hong Kong (South China) sometimes put their name forward or use an English name instead of a Chinese name - for example, David Mak. By the way, about 60 years ago in Chinese studies, the use of a hyphen was actively practiced to indicate the boundary of Chinese syllables in names: Mao Tse-tung, Sun Yat-sen. Yat-sen here is a Cantonese recording of the name of a southern Chinese revolutionary, which often confuses Sinologists who are unaware of the existence of such a dialect.

Fact two. 50 percent of Chinese people have 5 main surnames.

Wang, Li, Zhang, Zhou, Chen - these are the five main Chinese surnames, the last Chen is the main surname in Guangdong (South China), almost every third one is Chen. Wang 王 - means "prince" or "king" (head of the region), Li 李 - pear tree, the dynasty that ruled China in the Tang Dynasty, Zhang 张 - archer, Zhou 周 - "cycle, circle", ancient imperial family, Chen 陈 - “old, aged” (about wine, soy sauce, etc.). Unlike Westerners, Chinese surnames are homogeneous, but the Chinese give free rein to their imagination when it comes to names.

Fact three. Most Chinese surnames are monosyllabic.

Two-syllable surnames include the rare surnames Sima, Ouyang and a number of others. However, a few years ago, the Chinese government allowed double surnames, where the child was given the surname of both the father and mother - which led to the emergence of such interesting surnames as Wang-Ma and others. Most Chinese surnames are monosyllabic, and 99% of them can be found in the ancient text "Baijia Xing" - "100 surnames", but the real number of surnames is much larger, almost any noun can be found among the surnames of the 1.3 billion Chinese population.

Fact four. The choice of a Chinese name is limited only by the parents' imagination.

Chinese names are mainly selected according to their meaning, or according to the advice of a fortuneteller. It’s unlikely that you would guess that each hieroglyph belongs to one or another element, and all of them together should bring good luck. In China there is a whole science of choosing a name, so if the name of the interlocutor is very strange, then most likely it was chosen by a fortuneteller. It is interesting that previously in Chinese villages a child could be called by a dissonant name in order to deceive evil spirits. It was assumed that evil spirits would think that such a child was not valued in the family, and therefore would not covet him. Most often, the choice of name preserves the old Chinese tradition of playing with meanings, for example, the founder of Alibaba is named Ma Yun, (Ma - horse, Yun - cloud), however, "yun" in a different tone means "luck", most likely his parents invested His name has this exact meaning, but sticking out anything or speaking openly in China is a sign of bad taste.

Fact five. Chinese names can be divided into masculine and feminine.

As a rule, for men's names they use hieroglyphs with the meaning of "study", "mind", "strength", "forest", "dragon", and for women's names they use hieroglyphs for flowers and jewelry, or simply the hieroglyph "beautiful".