The first name is only used or called by oneself to show one's self-modesty while the style name is only used or called by others to show others' respect to the person they address. Many people also have a pseudonym (Hao). It's also for others to address, just like the style name, but with more respect.
Today, two-character names are more common and make up more than 80% of Chinese names. However, this custom has been consistent only since the Ming dynasty.
Chinese names are traditionally patrilineal, whereby children are given their father's family name at birth. Women do not change their legal names at marriage. However, some may choose to place their husband's family name before their full name.
In Chinese, names consist usually of two, three, or occasionally four monosyllabic characters. Surnames, or xìng (姓), generally come first and in most cases consist of one character.
It's a long-established tradition
Until the mid-1900s in China, a person usually had three names besides his or her surname: ming, zi and hao. Ming is the name given by parents; Zi is the name granted to a person at the beginning of adulthood – men usually at the age of 20 and women at 15.
The order that the three name elements appears is important. Chinese surnames usually come first, followed by the given name. In our earlier example, Chan Tai Man, Chan is the surname while Tai Man is the given name.
Chinese families usually give their new baby a name made up of two syllables from the Chinese alphabet, each with individual meanings. Because there are thousands of characters in the Chinese alphabet, it's rare to find two people with the same first name. Some characters are used more often than others, though.
Zhāng Wěi 张伟, Wáng Wěi 王伟, and Lǐ Nà 李娜 are the three most common full names.
The three most common surnames in Mainland China are Li, Wang and Zhang, which make up 7.9%, 7.4% and 7.1% respectively. Together they number close to 300 million and are easily the most common surnames in the world.
However, Zhang Wei (张伟) is the most common full name in mainland China. The top five surnames in China – Wang, Li, Zhang, Liu, Chen – are also the top five surnames in the world, each with over 70-100 million worldwide.
It is considered to be polite and respectful to address a Chinese people by his/her surname, followed by honorific titles like Xian1 Sheng1 (Sir), Nv3 Shi4 (Madam) or the job position. Given names are often called between good friends.
Sometimes, ancient rulers and clans would adopt the names of their state or fiefdom; others were granted new royal surnames by emperors. Over the dynasties, ethnic minorities and nomadic groups also adopted Han Chinese names, sometimes given no choice during periods of conflict or intense Sinicization campaigns.
According to ancient documents, the earliest surname in China was "Feng", and the earliest surnames were "Fuxi", "Shennong", "Nuwa's" and so on. The most commonly used ones in China are "Li", "Wang", "Zhang", "Liu", "Chen", "Yang" and so on.
Wáng is the most common surname in mainland China and is a royal surname meaning “King.” This surname has origins from multiple royal families from the Qin dynasty to the Tang dynasty. Those with the surname Wang are likely descendants of royalty.
Kai is a common last name found among Overseas Chinese communities around the world. In fact, "Kai" is the transliteration of several different Chinese surnames. Its meaning varies depending on how it is spelled in Chinese, and which dialect it is pronounced in.
Gender-Neutral Chinese Baby Names
Huan: This gender-neutral Chinese baby name means “happiness.” Lian: Traditionally a feminine name, this Chinese name can be used for modern boys or girls. Lian means “graceful willow.” Tai: It's a “great extreme” and can be used as a gender-neutral Chinese baby name.
When children are young, they'll call their mother 妈妈(māma), then as adults, it shortens to 妈(mā). It is just like the switch from "mommy" to "mom/mum" in English. Nowadays, many children also call their mother 老妈(lǎomā). Calling your mother 母亲(mǔqīn) is considered very formal.
Most children call their dad 爸爸 (bàba) or, even more casually, 爸 (bà), and call their mom 媽媽 (māma) or simply 媽 (mā). You can also combine these words and say 爸媽 (bàmā) as a casual way to say parents, rather than saying 父母 (fùmǔ).
宝贝 (Bǎobèi) /宝宝 (Bǎobǎo)
宝贝 literally means “treasure” and “宝宝” literally means “baby.” Both are used by moms to refer to their (actual) babies, but as is the case in English, these terms are also commonly used by romantic couples.
Do not touch, hug, lock arms, back slap or make any body contact. Clicking fingers or whistling is considered very rude. Never put your feet on a desk or a chair. Never gesture or pass an object with your feet.
Many Chinese celebrities have English names so people choose the same name that their favorite singer or actor uses. Other people choose the names of American movie stars or even a character they play. Some people choose a name from their favorite book, either the author's or the main character's name.
The Chinese will state their last name first, followed by the given name (may be one or two syllables). For example, Liu Jianguo, in Chinese would be Mr. Jianguo Liu using the Western style. Never call someone by only his or her last name.
Religious naming restrictions
Examples include "Islam", "Quran", "Mecca", "Jihad", "Imam", "Saddam", "Muhammad", "Hajj", and "Medina", among others. Legislation in 2017 made it illegal to give children names that the Chinese government deemed to "exaggerate religious fervor".