Chinese Boy Names
Chinese parents often put as much thought into a son’s name as into his education. The goal is a name that sounds good with the surname, looks balanced when written and carries a wish for his life: strength (强), wisdom (智), a vast future (浩) or simple peace (安).
Here are 95 Chinese boy names, each with its characters and meaning, grouped by theme — from current favorites to names borne by poets, generals and film stars. See also our main Chinese names page, Chinese girl names and Chinese last names to pair with them.
Popular modern Chinese boy names
These two-character names were among the most common for boys born in mainland China over the last two decades; 浩, 宇, 轩 and 辰 were especially fashionable.
| Name | Characters | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Hao Yu | 浩宇 | Vast universe |
| Zi Xuan | 子轩 | Son; lofty and dignified |
| Yu Xuan | 宇轩 | Universe; lofty |
| Hao Ran | 浩然 | Vast and upright (from Mencius) |
| Yi Chen | 奕辰 | Radiant stars |
| Zi Hao | 子豪 | Son; heroic |
| Mu Chen | 沐宸 | Bathed in imperial grace |
| Yu Chen | 宇辰 | Universe and stars |
| Jun Xi | 俊熙 | Talented and bright |
| Hao Xuan | 浩轩 | Vast and lofty |
| Yi Nuo | 一诺 | A promise kept |
| Zi Mo | 子墨 | Son; ink (a scholarly name) |
| Chen Yu | 晨宇 | Morning; universe |
| Rui | 睿 | Wise, far-sighted |
| Yi Fan | 一帆 | A single sail; smooth sailing |
Strong and heroic Chinese boy names
Names of strength, courage and power. Several were patriotic favorites in the mid-20th century. For more, see strong boy names.
| Name | Characters | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Qiang | 强 | Strong |
| Wei | 伟 | Great, mighty |
| Gang | 刚 | Firm, unyielding |
| Yong | 勇 | Brave |
| Wu | 武 | Martial, military |
| Hu | 虎 | Tiger |
| Long | 龙 | Dragon |
| Xiong | 雄 | Heroic, powerful |
| Jun Jie | 俊杰 | Outstanding talent, hero |
| Zhi Qiang | 志强 | Strong will |
| Peng | 鹏 | The roc, a giant mythical bird |
| Lei | 雷 | Thunder |
| Zhen | 震 | Shake, thunderclap |
| Jian Guo | 建国 | Build the nation |
| Guo Qiang | 国强 | Strong nation |
Wise and scholarly boy names
In a culture that has prized learning since Confucius, names about wisdom and ambition never go out of style.
| Name | Characters | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ming | 明 | Bright, clear |
| Wen | 文 | Literature, culture |
| Bo Wen | 博文 | Learned, cultured |
| Zhi | 智 | Wisdom |
| Cong | 聪 | Clever |
| Jun | 俊 | Handsome, talented |
| Zhe | 哲 | Philosophy, wise |
| Xian | 贤 | Virtuous and talented |
| Yu Hang | 宇航 | Space flight |
| Si Yuan | 思远 | Thinking far ahead |
| Ming Zhe | 明哲 | Bright and wise |
| Zhi Yuan | 致远 | Reach far (from Zhuge Liang’s “宁静致远”) |
| Hong | 宏 | Grand, vast |
| Kai | 凯 | Triumphant |
Chinese boy names from nature
Mountains, rivers and stars give boys’ names a sense of scale. Compare with nature boy names in English.
| Name | Characters | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Tao | 涛 | Great waves |
| Hai | 海 | Sea |
| Shan | 山 | Mountain |
| Feng | 峰 | Mountain peak |
| Lin | 林 | Forest |
| Song | 松 | Pine tree |
| Sen | 森 | Dense forest |
| Chen | 辰 | Stars, celestial bodies |
| 星 | Star | |
| Yang | 阳 | Sun, sunshine |
| Jiang | 江 | River |
| Chuan | 川 | Stream, river |
| Yue | 岳 | Lofty mountain |
| Tian | 天 | Sky, heaven |
Virtue and good-fortune names
Confucian virtues and wishes for health and luck are timeless choices, especially as the second character of a name.
| Name | Characters | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| De | 德 | Virtue |
| An | 安 | Peace, safety |
| Kang | 康 | Health, well-being |
| Fu | 福 | Good fortune |
| Xiang | 祥 | Auspicious |
| Yi | 毅 | Resolute, determined |
| Cheng | 诚 | Sincerity |
| Ren | 仁 | Benevolence |
| Zhong | 忠 | Loyalty |
| Xiao | 孝 | Filial devotion |
| Jia | 嘉 | Excellent, praiseworthy |
| Le | 乐 | Joy |
| Tian You | 天佑 | Blessed by heaven |
| Yong Kang | 永康 | Lasting health |
Names of famous Chinese men
Legendary emperors, poets and heroes of the Three Kingdoms have lent their given names to generations of boys. See also king names.
| Name | Characters | Famous bearer |
|---|---|---|
| Liang | 亮 | Zhuge Liang, strategist of the Three Kingdoms (“bright”) |
| Yun | 云 | Zhao Yun, loyal general (“cloud”) |
| Fei | 飞 | Zhang Fei, fierce general (“fly”) |
| Yu | 羽 | Guan Yu, revered warrior (“feather”) |
| Wukong | 悟空 | Sun Wukong, the Monkey King (“aware of emptiness”) |
| Xiao Long | 小龙 | Bruce Lee’s Chinese name (“little dragon”) |
| Cheng Long | 成龙 | Jackie Chan’s stage name (“become a dragon”) |
| Bai | 白 | Li Bai, Tang dynasty poet (“white”) |
| Yao | 尧 | Emperor Yao, legendary sage-king |
| Shun | 舜 | Emperor Shun, legendary sage-king |
| He | 和 | Zheng He, Ming dynasty admiral (“harmony”) |
Cantonese spellings of Chinese boy names
Families from Hong Kong, Guangdong and much of the diaspora romanize names in Cantonese, so the same characters look different in English.
| Cantonese | Characters | Meaning (Mandarin) |
|---|---|---|
| Wing | 永 | Eternal (Yong) |
| Kin | 建 | To build (Jian) |
| Ho | 浩 | Vast (Hao) |
| Kit | 杰 | Outstanding (Jie) |
| Chun | 俊 | Talented (Jun) |
| Wai | 伟 | Great (Wei) |
| Hin | 轩 | Lofty (Xuan) |
| Lok | 乐 | Joy (Le) |
| Ka Ho | 家豪 | Family hero (Jia Hao) |
| Tsz Hin | 子轩 | Son; lofty (Zi Xuan) |
| Chi Keung | 志强 | Strong will (Zhi Qiang) |
| Siu Ming | 小明 | Little bright one (Xiao Ming) |
Tips for choosing a Chinese boy name
- Start with a wish. Decide what you hope for your son — wisdom, courage, a broad horizon — then look for characters that express it.
- Balance with the surname. A one-character surname often pairs best with a two-character given name for rhythm (e.g. Wang Hao Yu).
- Check the tones. Three identical tones in a row can sound flat; mixing tones makes a name pleasant to say.
- Avoid rare characters. Very obscure characters can cause trouble in computer systems and official forms.
- Consider an English name that echoes it. Kai, Ming and Rui already work in English; see short boy names for easy pairings.
Frequently asked questions
What is a popular Chinese boy name?
Hao Yu (浩宇), Zi Xuan (子轩), Yu Xuan (宇轩) and Yi Chen (奕辰) have been among the most common boys’ names in mainland China in recent years.
What Chinese boy name means strong?
Qiang (强) means strong and is found in names like Zhi Qiang (志强, “strong will”). Gang (刚, “firm”) and Yong (勇, “brave”) are close alternatives.
What Chinese name means dragon?
Long (龙) means dragon — a symbol of power and good fortune. It appears in Bruce Lee’s Chinese name Xiao Long and Jackie Chan’s Cheng Long.
Why do some Chinese boys have “Zi” in their name?
子 (zi) originally meant “son” or “master” and was used in the names of classical philosophers, so it gives a name a refined, scholarly feel.
What is a short Chinese boy name?
Single-character names such as Ming (明), Kai (凯), Rui (睿), Tao (涛) and An (安) are short, meaningful and easy to say in English.