Browse 79 Chinese family names with simplified and traditional characters, pinyin, meaning and a frequency band. A filter isolates the two-character surnames.
79 entries
Chen
陈
Say it: CHUN · Chén
to exhibit, or ancient state
How common: very common
Extremely common in southern China, meaning ancient or to display.
陈dictionary gloss: exhibit, display; plead; a surname
Deng
邓
Say it: DENG · Dèng
An ancient place name, referring to the State of Deng.
How common: very common
A very prominent surname in southern China, particularly in Sichuan and Guangdong.
邓dictionary gloss: surname
Dong
董
Say it: DOONG · Dǒng
to supervise or direct
How common: very common
Meaning to manage or supervise, historically associated with keepers of dragons.
董dictionary gloss: direct, supervise; surname
Check meaning
Spelled identically to 'dong', English slang for penis.
Feng
冯
Say it: FUNG · Féng
to gallop or wade
How common: very common
An ancient surname meaning to gallop, cross a river, or support.
This name has aristocratic origins and sounds very formal.
皇dictionary gloss: royal, imperial; ruler, superior
甫dictionary gloss: begin; man, father; great; a distance of ten li
Ji
姬
Say it: JEE · Jī
Imperial family of Zhou, meaning beauty or consort
How common: uncommon
The ancient sovereign family name of the Zhou Dynasty, highly prestigious.
姬dictionary gloss: beauty; imperial concubine
Murong
慕容
Say it: MOO-RONG · Mùróng
Xianbei tribal name; historically explained as 'admiring heaven and earth, inheriting the glory of the sun, moon, and stars'.
How common: uncommon · Two-part surname
Originally a Xianbei tribal name, it is heavily associated with royal or martial arts lineages.
慕dictionary gloss: long for, desire; admire
容dictionary gloss: looks, appearance; figure, form
Medium confidence
Rong
容
Say it: RONG · Róng
To hold, tolerate, or appearance
How common: uncommon
This name sounds soft, gentle, and visually beautiful.
容dictionary gloss: looks, appearance; figure, form
Shangguan
上官
Say it: SHAHNG-GWAHN · Shàngguān
High official
How common: uncommon · Two-part surname
This name evokes noble status and is popular for elegant or powerful characters.
上dictionary gloss: top; superior, highest; go up, send up
官dictionary gloss: official, public servant
Two-character surnames
Most surnames have one character, but the compound ones add a lot of flavor. Ouyang 欧阳 is the most common of them in Han families. Sima 司马 (minister of war) and Situ 司徒 come from old government posts. Murong 慕容, Yuwen 宇文 and Moqi 万俟 are Xianbei tribal names, and Huyan 呼延 is Xiongnu. Dugu 独孤 means alone, and Dongfang 东方 means east. Wuxia and xianxia stories use them for rival clans and lone swordsmen. Use the compound filter to see all of them.
Common names, imperial names
Wang, Li and Zhang are the three most common surnames. Four imperial houses give their name to a surname: Li for the Tang, Liu for the Han, Zhao for the Song and Zhu for the Ming. Many other names come from ancient states, such as Zheng 郑, Han 韩 and Wu 吴. The frequency band is a rough label from very common to rare, not a count.
Pitfalls
Two surnames can share a spelling. Xu is 徐 (Xú) in one row and 许 (Xǔ) in another, and Lu is 陆 (Lù) or 卢 (Lú). Match the tone and the character. Dong 董 and Dongfang carry a Check meaning tag, because dong is an English slang word. The meaning shown belongs to the whole surname, and many are notes on origin. See editorial standards. Pair a surname with a given name in the Chinese name generator, or compare Korean last names.
Questions
Which Chinese surnames are the most common?
Wang, Li and Zhang are the three most common.
What is a compound surname?
It is a surname of two characters, such as Ouyang or Murong. The compound ones are mostly rare in everyday life.
Why are there two rows for Xu and for Lu?
They are different surnames written with different characters and tones. Xu 徐 and 许 differ, and so do Lu 陆 and 卢.
Can I use a Xianbei name for a Han character?
You can, but the name will hint at a northern tribal origin. Choose it on purpose for a clan with that history.