How Do I Say My Name in Chinese?

When traveling about in China, you’ll need to introduce yourself to those you meet along the way. The vast differences between Chinese and English mean it’s important to know the Chinese equivalent of your English name. Read on to discover how to say your name in Chinese!

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Chinese translations of common English names for women

The names listed below were the most common names for women in the United States between 1920-2019, according to the Social Security Administration.

Chinese translations of common English names for men

According to the Social Security Administration, the names below were the most common names for U.S. men between 1920-2019.

English versus Chinese names

Many long-term expats and Mandarin language students will tell you that the most enriching aspect of their experience in China was meeting new people and making friends with locals.

Knowing how to introduce yourself when you first start meeting new people in China can be tough, though, since direct equivalents of English names are not used in China (except perhaps in English class).

While many young people in big Chinese cities like Shanghai and Beijing speak English and are familiar with the English pronunciation of most common English names, older people and people living in smaller cities like Guilin may struggle to recognize, remember and pronounce them.

When meeting people in China, it's important to know how to say your name in Chinese.

Chinese names

Generally, choosing a culturally appropriate Chinese moniker for yourself is highly recommended.

The logic behind names in China is quite different from the logic behind names in the West, however. Therefore, deciding what to call yourself in China can be somewhat complicated and generally requires assistance from a Chinese language teacher.

Many foreigners who have spent many years interacting with China and learning Chinese have chosen special “Chinese names.”

These unique appellations are usually chosen based on the sounds and meanings of the Chinese characters that they include, instead of being direct transliterations of their English equivalents.

Choosing a culturally appropriate Chinese name for yourself requires time and effort.

Good examples of foreigners who have chosen authentic Chinese names for themselves include sinologist Jonathon Spence, who goes by 史景迁 (Shǐ Jǐngqiān), and writer Peter Hessler, who is known as 何伟 (Hé Wěi) in China.

If for some reason you don’t have time to consult a Chinese teacher when choosing a Chinese moniker for yourself, it’s still useful to know what the accepted Chinese equivalent of your English name is so you can use it to introduce yourself to your new friends in China.

 

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Chinese transliterations of English names

Westerners have been interacting with China for hundreds of years, so even though English names aren’t used in China, generally accepted equivalents for many of them do exist. In almost every case, these names are actually transliterations of the English versions.

Although the Chinese equivalents of common English names may look completely unrecognizable when written in Chinese characters, many of them look quite similar to their English counterparts when written in pinyin.

Common English names can be written in Chinese through a process of transliteration.

For example, the Chinese characters for Natalie are 娜塔莉, but the pinyin is written as Nàtǎlì. Likewise, Anna is written as 安娜 using Chinese characters, but its pinyin equivalent, Ānnà, is almost identical to the English version (aside from the tone marks).

Transliterated English names may sound a bit odd to the untrained ear due to the fact that phonetically translating each syllable using Chinese characters means that the Chinese versions must be pronounced using Chinese tones. However, with practice, you’ll soon learn to recognize the similarities between the Chinese versions and the English originals.

Choosing appropriate Chinese characters

Another interesting aspect of Chinese transliterations of English names is the fact that the transliterations often follow some of the same rules that Chinese parents take into consideration when naming their children.

The characters used in Chinese transliterations of common English names are usually chosen according to a special set of rules and cultural norms.

Auspicious meanings

Chinese parents usually try to choose names that feature Chinese characters with auspicious meanings. In a similar vein, many of the characters used in Chinese transliterations of English names also have positive or auspicious meanings.

For example, the character 德 (dé), which means “virtue,” is contained in the Chinese transliterations of frequently used English monikers like Richard (理查德 Lǐchádé) and Harold (哈罗德 Hāluōdé).

Likewise, the character 安 (ān), which means “peace,” is included in the transliteration of Anthony (安东尼 Āndōngní) and Ryan (赖安 Laì'ān).

Other characters with positive connotations, such as 杰 (jié, outstanding person, hero) and 特 (tè, exceptional) can be found in multiple different Chinese transliterations of English names.

Gender-based naming conventions

When choosing names for girls, Chinese parents frequently choose characters with connotations that are traditionally thought of as being “feminine.”

This habit has also carried over into the choice of characters used in Chinese transliterations of traditionally female English names. For example, both Patricia (帕特丽夏 Pàtèlìxià) and Elizabeth (伊丽莎白 Yīlìshābái), contain the character 丽 (lì), which means beautiful or pretty.

English girls' names are often transliterated using characters associated with feminine characteristics.

What about surnames?

In general, Chinese surnames are only one character long. Most foreign surnames, however, often consist of at least two syllables. Thus, when transliterating foreign surnames directly into Chinese, it is often not possible to use a common Chinese surname as a substitute. Rather, it is most common to simply transcribe English surnames phonetically using pinyin.

Chinese surnames generally come first, before given names, in contrast to English surnames, which come last. Traditionally, when full English names that include both the first name and the surname are rendered in Chinese, the English word order is usually retained.

To show where the given name ends and the surname begins, a dot symbol is often used. For example, basketball star Kobe Bryant is generally referred to as 科比·布莱恩特 (Kēbǐ·Bùlái'ēntè) in China.

Unlike English surnames, Chinese surnames come first, before given names.

What’s in a name?

Although Chinese equivalents of English names are not commonly used in China and it’s always better to choose a more authentic Chinese moniker, there are times when knowing some of the most common Chinese transliterations can be useful.

Examining the strategies used to produce these transliterations also provides fascinating insights into Chinese culture.

Curious to know how to say your name in Chinese? Check out our lists of popular English names and their Chinese equivalents below!

Learning to say your name in Chinese is essential for those who plan to travel in China.

Anne Meredith

Anne Meredith holds an MA in International Politics and Chinese Studies from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). As part of the graduation requirements for the program, Anne wrote and defended a 70-page Master's thesis entirely in 汉字 (hànzì; Chinese characters). Anne lives in Shanghai, China and is fluent in Chinese.