Baozi
Tools
Most common Chinese surnames

Most common Chinese surnames

One in five Chinese people shares one of five surnames. The surname comes first and is nearly always a single syllable.

#	Surname	Pinyin	Character meaning	Famous bearer
1	王	Wáng	king	王羲之 Wang Xizhi, calligrapher
2	李	Lǐ	plum Surname of the Tang imperial family.	李白 Li Bai, poet
3	张張	Zhāng	to draw (a bow); to open up	张艺谋 Zhang Yimou, film director
4	刘劉	Liú	battle-axe; to kill (archaic) Surname of the Han imperial family.	刘备 Liu Bei, founder of Shu Han
5	陈陳	Chén	to display, to lay out	陈独秀 Chen Duxiu, co-founder of the Communist Party
6	杨楊	Yáng	poplar	杨振宁 Yang Zhenning, physicist
7	黄黃	Huáng	yellow	黄飞鸿 Wong Fei-hung, martial artist
8	赵趙	Zhào	the state of Zhao; (archaic) to walk fast First surname in the Hundred Family Surnames, because the Song emperors bore it.	赵云 Zhao Yun, general of the Three Kingdoms
9	吴吳	Wú	the state of Wu	吴承恩 Wu Cheng'en, author of Journey to the West
10	周	Zhōu	circuit; the Zhou dynasty	周恩来 Zhou Enlai, first premier of the PRC
11	徐	Xú	slow, gentle	徐悲鸿 Xu Beihong, painter
12	孙孫	Sūn	grandchild	孙中山 Sun Yat-sen (Sun Zhongshan), revolutionary
13	马馬	Mǎ	horse	马云 Jack Ma (Ma Yun), founder of Alibaba
14	朱	Zhū	vermilion, bright red Surname of the Ming imperial family.	朱元璋 Zhu Yuanzhang, founder of the Ming dynasty
15	胡	Hú	northern and western peoples; (old) beard	胡适 Hu Shih, scholar and writer
16	郭	Guō	outer city wall	郭沫若 Guo Moruo, writer and historian
17	何	Hé	what, which	何香凝 He Xiangning, painter and politician
18	林	Lín	forest, grove	林则徐 Lin Zexu, Qing official who fought the opium trade
19	高	Gāo	tall, high	高锟 Charles Kao, Nobel laureate, pioneer of optical fibre
20	罗羅	Luó	net for catching birds; to spread out	罗贯中 Luo Guanzhong, author of Romance of the Three Kingdoms
21	郑鄭	Zhèng	the state of Zheng	郑和 Zheng He, Ming admiral and explorer
22	梁	Liáng	beam; bridge	梁启超 Liang Qichao, thinker and reformer
23	谢謝	Xiè	to thank	谢灵运 Xie Lingyun, poet
24	宋	Sòng	the Song dynasty; the state of Song	宋庆龄 Soong Ching-ling, stateswoman
25	唐	Táng	the Tang dynasty; grand	唐寅 Tang Yin, Ming painter and poet
26	许許	Xǔ	to allow; to promise	许慎 Xu Shen, compiler of the dictionary Shuowen Jiezi
27	韩韓	Hán	the state of Han; Korea	韩愈 Han Yu, Tang poet and essayist
28	冯馮	Féng	to ride; to rely on Read píng in the sense "to rely on"; as a surname it is Féng.	冯小刚 Feng Xiaogang, film director
29	邓鄧	Dèng	the ancient state of Deng	邓小平 Deng Xiaoping, statesman
30	曹	Cáo	(archaic) group; bureau	曹雪芹 Cao Xueqin, author of Dream of the Red Chamber
31	彭	Péng	the ancient state of Peng	彭德怀 Peng Dehuai, marshal of the PRC
32	曾	Zēng	great- (kinship, a generation removed) In the ordinary word (once, ever) it is céng; as a surname it is Zēng.	曾国藩 Zeng Guofan, Qing statesman
33	肖蕭	Xiāo	to resemble (xiào); as a surname it stands for 萧 Often it is a simplified writing of 萧 (蕭); the character 肖 itself is also read Xiāo as a surname.	萧红 Xiao Hong, writer
34	田	Tián	field	田汉 Tian Han, playwright, author of the lyrics of the PRC anthem
35	董	Dǒng	to supervise, to direct	董仲舒 Dong Zhongshu, Han philosopher
36	袁	Yuán	(archaic) long robe	袁隆平 Yuan Longping, breeder of hybrid rice
37	潘	Pān	water from rinsing rice	潘玉良 Pan Yuliang, painter
38	于	Yú	at, in (classical preposition) Not to be confused with the rarer surname 於 (Yū).	于谦 Yu Qian, Ming general and official
39	蒋蔣	Jiǎng	water oat (Zizania)	蒋介石 Chiang Kai-shek
40	蔡	Cài	the state of Cai	蔡伦 Cai Lun, traditionally the inventor of paper
41	余	Yú	I (archaic); remainder As a surname 余 is the original character, not a simplification of 餘.	余华 Yu Hua, writer
42	杜	Dù	wild pear; to block	杜甫 Du Fu, poet
43	叶葉	Yè	leaf As a surname 叶 simplifies 葉 "leaf"; the separate old character 叶 xié means "to harmonize".	叶圣陶 Ye Shengtao, writer and educator
44	程	Chéng	measure, order; journey	程颢 Cheng Hao, Song philosopher
45	苏蘇	Sū	perilla; to revive	苏轼 Su Shi (Su Dongpo), poet
46	魏	Wèi	the state of Wei	魏征 Wei Zheng, adviser to Emperor Taizong
47	吕呂	Lǚ	musical pitch (lü)	吕不韦 Lü Buwei, chancellor of Qin
48	丁	Dīng	fourth heavenly stem; adult man	丁玲 Ding Ling, writer
49	任	Rén	to appoint, to assign As a surname it is Rén; in the word "to assign" it is rèn.	任正非 Ren Zhengfei, founder of Huawei
50	沈	Shěn	the state of Shen; to sink In the sense "to sink" it is read chén (also written 沉).	沈括 Shen Kuo, Song polymath
51	姚	Yáo	(archaic) beautiful; clan name of Emperor Shun	姚明 Yao Ming, basketball player
52	卢盧	Lú	(archaic) black; vessel	卢照邻 Lu Zhaolin, Tang poet
53	姜	Jiāng	ginger	姜子牙 Jiang Ziya, adviser to the founder of the Zhou dynasty
54	崔	Cuī	(archaic) lofty, towering	崔健 Cui Jian, rock musician
55	钟鍾	Zhōng	bell; wine cup 钟 simplifies both 鍾 (cup) and 鐘 (bell); the surname is usually written 鍾.	钟南山 Zhong Nanshan, pulmonologist
56	谭譚	Tán	to talk, to tell	谭嗣同 Tan Sitong, reformer
57	陆陸	Lù	land	陆游 Lu You, Song poet
58	汪	Wāng	vast expanse of water	汪曾祺 Wang Zengqi, writer
59	范	Fàn	model, pattern For "model" the full form is 範; the surname is always 范.	范仲淹 Fan Zhongyan, statesman and poet
60	金	Jīn	gold; metal	金庸 Jin Yong, wuxia novelist
61	石	Shí	stone	石涛 Shitao, Qing painter
62	廖	Liào	empty, sparse	廖承志 Liao Chengzhi, politician
63	贾賈	Jiǎ	merchant (gǔ) As a surname it is Jiǎ; in the sense "merchant" it is gǔ.	贾平凹 Jia Pingwa, writer
64	夏	Xià	summer; the Xia dynasty	夏衍 Xia Yan, playwright
65	韦韋	Wéi	tanned leather	韦应物 Wei Yingwu, Tang poet
66	付	Fù	to pay; to hand over	付笛声 Fu Disheng, singer and composer
67	方	Fāng	square; side; method	方志敏 Fang Zhimin, revolutionary
68	白	Bái	white	白居易 Bai Juyi, Tang poet
69	邹鄒	Zōu	the state of Zou	邹韬奋 Zou Taofen, journalist and publisher
70	孟	Mèng	eldest; first month of a season	孟浩然 Meng Haoran, Tang poet
71	熊	Xióng	bear	熊十力 Xiong Shili, philosopher
72	秦	Qín	the state and dynasty of Qin	秦琼 Qin Qiong, Tang general
73	邱	Qiū	hill A variant of 丘; the 邱 spelling became standard after a 1725 decree, to avoid the name of Confucius (孔丘).	邱少云 Qiu Shaoyun, soldier-hero of the Korean War
74	江	Jiāng	large river	江泽民 Jiang Zemin, statesman
75	尹	Yǐn	to govern; magistrate	尹吉甫 Yin Jifu, Zhou-dynasty minister
76	薛	Xuē	the state of Xue	薛涛 Xue Tao, Tang poet
77	闫閆	Yán	village gate Often a variant of the surname 阎 (閻).	阎锡山 Yan Xishan, warlord
78	段	Duàn	section, segment	段祺瑞 Duan Qirui, politician
79	雷	Léi	thunder	雷锋 Lei Feng, soldier and model citizen
80	侯	Hóu	marquis, lord	侯孝贤 Hou Hsiao-hsien, film director
81	龙龍	Lóng	dragon	龙云 Long Yun, general, ruler of Yunnan
82	史	Shǐ	historian, chronicler	史可法 Shi Kefa, late-Ming general
83	陶	Táo	pottery; to cultivate	陶渊明 Tao Yuanming, poet
84	黎	Lí	black; multitude	黎元洪 Li Yuanhong, president of the Republic of China
85	贺賀	Hè	to congratulate	贺龙 He Long, marshal of the PRC
86	顾顧	Gù	to look back; to care for	顾炎武 Gu Yanwu, Qing thinker
87	毛	Máo	fur, hair	毛泽东 Mao Zedong
88	郝	Hǎo	name of an ancient place	郝海东 Hao Haidong, footballer
89	龚龔	Gōng	(archaic) respectful	龚自珍 Gong Zizhen, poet and thinker
90	邵	Shào	name of an ancient fief	邵逸夫 Run Run Shaw, film producer
91	万萬	Wàn	ten thousand The rare compound surname 万俟 is read Mòqí.	万籁鸣 Wan Laiming, pioneer of Chinese animation
92	钱錢	Qián	money; coin	钱学森 Qian Xuesen, rocket scientist
93	严嚴	Yán	strict	严复 Yan Fu, translator and thinker
94	覃	Qín	to extend (tán) As a surname it is Qín; in the word meaning "to extend" it is tán.	覃子豪 Qin Zihao, Taiwanese poet
95	武	Wǔ	martial, military	武则天 Wu Zetian, empress
96	戴	Dài	to wear on the head	戴震 Dai Zhen, Qing philosopher
97	莫	Mò	not; no one	莫言 Mo Yan, writer, Nobel laureate
98	孔	Kǒng	hole, opening The surname of Confucius.	孔子 Confucius (Kongzi), philosopher
99	向	Xiàng	direction; toward Sometimes written 嚮; as a surname it is Xiàng.	向警予 Xiang Jingyu, Communist Party activist
100	汤湯	Tāng	soup; hot water	汤显祖 Tang Xianzu, playwright

Questions and answers

What is the most common Chinese surname?

王 Wáng — about 100 million people have it. Next come 李 Lǐ and 张 Zhāng: together the three cover nearly one Chinese person in five.

Why does the surname come first?

In Chinese the family comes before the person: in 王小明 Wáng Xiǎomíng, Wáng is the surname. People are addressed by surname plus a title, like 王老师 “Teacher Wang”.

Are there two-character surnames?

Yes, but few: 欧阳 Ōuyáng, 司马 Sīmǎ, 诸葛 Zhūgě. Nearly every Chinese surname is a single syllable.

More tools

Free tools for learning Chinese →