Chinese
Names
and
Their
Meanings
In
China,
most
people
have
a
given
name
which
is
made
up
of
two
or
three
characters.
The
first
character
usually
indicates
the
person’s
surname,
while
the
remaining
characters
indicate
the
person’s
given
name.
However,
it
is
becoming
more
common
for
people
to
adopt
English
names
when
interacting
with
foreigners.
Chinese
given
names
often
have
unique
meanings
and
are
chosen
with
great
care
by
parents.
For
example,
the
name
“Xiao”
(小)
means
“little”
in
Mandarin,
so
it
is
often
given
to
girls
as
a
diminutive
name.
Other
common
names
for
g「推荐更多 属相运势常识请关注 :运程吧,Www.YuNChenGBa.CC」irls
include
“Yan”
(燕)
which
means
“swallow,”
and
“Hui”
(慧)
which
means
“intelligent.”
Meanwhile,
boys
are
often
named
“Jian”
(建)
which
means
“to
build,”
“Wei”
(伟)
which
means
“great,”
or
“Jun”
(俊)
which
means
“handsome.”
Chinese
parents
also
put
careful
thought
into
the
order
of
their
children’s
names.
It
is
traditional
for
the
family
name
to
come
first,
followed
by
the
given
name.
In
addition,
the
given
name
often
has
a
certain
rhythm
or
tone
when
spoken
together
with
the
family
name.
When
Chinese
people
choose
English
names,
they
often
pick
ones
that
are
easy
for
foreigners
to
remember
and
pronounce.
Some
common
choices
include
“Cathy,”
“Jerry,”
and
“Linda.”
Overall,
Chinese
names
reflect
traditions
and
values
that
are
highly
respected
in
Chinese
culture.
They
demonstrate
a
desire
for
beauty,
strength
and
intelligence,
and
show
esteem
for
the
family
as
a
unit.
As
China
continues
to
become
a
more
global
nation,
it
will
be
interesting
to
see
how
the
traditional
naming
practices
of
the
past
evolve
in
the
future.