Which part of a Chinese name is the first name? And which part is the last name? Knowing the answer helps a lot with forms, emails, and passports. This guide to Chinese first and last names makes it simple.
Here is the short answer. A Chinese name puts the last name first and the first name second. In Xi Jinping, Xi is the last name, and Jinping is the first name. The whole name is just these two clear parts.
I think the order is easy once you see it a few times. The last name is called xing (姓 “shing”). The first name is called ming (名 “ming”). Together they make a full name, called xingming (姓名 “shing-ming”).
This page covers the full picture. You will see how to spot each part, what happens to middle names, and how names look on a passport. In my opinion, the passport part saves the most mix-ups. It shows exactly which box each part of the name goes in.
What Is the Difference Between a Chinese First, Middle, and Last Name?
The last name is the family name, and it comes first. The first name is the personal name, and it comes second. A middle name is not part of a Chinese name.
The table below compares the three parts. It shows the Chinese word for each part, its size, and where it comes from.
| Part | Chinese word | Size | Comes from | Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last name | 姓 (xìng)sounds like “shing” | Usually 1 character | The family, most often the father | First |
| First name | 名 (míng)sounds like “ming” | 1 or 2 characters | Chosen by the parents | Second |
| Middle name | None | Not used | Not part of Chinese names | Not used |
So a Chinese full name is short. Most names have two or three characters in total. Zhang Wei (张伟 “jahng-way”) has two. Wang Haoran (王浩然 “wahng-how-rahn”) has three.
Both parts also carry meaning. See more Chinese last names and meanings in our main guide. Zhang means to pull a bow. Haoran means wide and open-hearted. Each part of the name is a real word.
Are Chinese Names Last Name First?
Yes. Chinese names put the last name first and the first name second. The family comes before the person.
This order holds in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. It is the order on Chinese ID cards, school lists, and work badges. Japan, Korea, and Vietnam use the same order.
Look at three famous names. Xi Jinping (习近平 “shee-jin-ping”) has the surname Xi. Yao Ming (姚明 “yow-ming”), the basketball star, has the surname Yao. Lee Kuan Yew, the first leader of Singapore, has the surname Lee.
Chinese names, surname first, are a proud family custom. Abroad, some people choose to flip their name to match English pages. Yao Ming stays Yao Ming in news stories, but a student named Li Na may write "Na Li" in America. The person is the same.
Same person, same last name: Li
So with the Chinese last name first name order, a friendly question helps. Simply ask. Most people are happy to tell you which part is their family name.
How Do You Tell the First Name From the Last Name?
In Chinese names, first and last parts are easy to spot. The last name is usually the short part at the front. The first name is the part after it.
There are three easy clues. First, the surname is most often one syllable, like Wang, the most common Chinese surname. Second, the first name is often two syllables, like Jinping or Haoran. Third, official papers write the surname in capital letters, like ZHANG Wei.
- Short surnameOne syllable, like Wang, Li, or Chen
- Longer first nameTwo syllables, like Jinping or Haoran
- Capital lettersOfficial papers:
ZHANG Wei
The Chinese government sets this spelling rule. Its national standard, GB/T 28039-2011, tells people how to write names in Pinyin. The surname and given name are written apart. The two syllables of a given name are joined together.
So "Wang Jianguo" is correct. "Wang Jian Guo" splits the given name into two parts. The joined form keeps the first name clear and whole.
A few surnames have two characters. Ouyang (欧阳 “oh-yahng”) and Zhuge (诸葛 “joo-guh”) are two of them. In Ouyang Xiu, the surname is Ouyang and the first name is Xiu.
Do Chinese People Have Middle Names?
No. A Chinese name has two parts: a last name and a first name. The second character of a first name is part of the first name.
Take Mao Zedong (毛泽东 “mow-dzuh-doong”). His surname is Mao, and his first name is Zedong. Ze is not a middle name. His brothers, Mao Zemin and Mao Zetan, share the same Ze.
Shared generation character: 泽 “dzuh”
That shared character is called a generation name. Brothers and cousins of the same age group share it. The family picks it from a poem in the family book. It shows which generation a person belongs to.
Chinese people abroad often add an English name. Many use it as a first name and move the Chinese name to the middle. So Wang Li Hua might become "Mary Lihua Wang" in America. In that case, Lihua works like a middle name.
This mix is very common in the United States, Canada, and Australia. It lets a person keep both names. It is a lovely way to carry two cultures at once.
How Do You Say First Name and Last Name in Chinese?
Last name is 姓 “shing” (xìng) in Chinese. First name is 名 “ming” (míng), or 名字 “ming-dzih” (míngzi) in daily talk.
Learning these words helps with forms and polite talk. The table below shows the key words for first name and last name in Chinese.
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last name | 姓sounds like “shing” | xìng | Forms and polite questions |
| First name | 名sounds like “ming” | míng | Forms |
| First name (daily talk) | 名字sounds like “ming-dzih” | míngzi | Talking with friends |
| Full name | 姓名sounds like “shing-ming” | xìngmíng | Forms and ID cards |
| What is your last name? | 您贵姓?sounds like “nin-gway-shing” | nín guì xìng | Polite first meetings |
| What is your name? | 你叫什么名字?sounds like “nee-jyow-shun-muh-ming-dzih” | nǐ jiào shénme míngzi | Friendly talk |
The polite question 您贵姓 “nin-gway-shing” means "your honored surname?" People ask it when they meet someone new. A good answer is "我姓王 “waw-shing-wahng”" (wǒ xìng Wáng), which means "my surname is Wang."
您贵姓?nín guì xìng · “nin-gway-shing”Your honored surname?
我姓王wǒ xìng Wáng · “waw-shing-wahng”My surname is Wang.
Here is a helpful tip. In daily Chinese, 名字 “ming-dzih” (míngzi) can mean the whole name too. On a form, though, 名 “ming” always means the given name.
A Name for Friends in Old China
Long ago, a grown man in China often had more than one name. The first was his ming, given by his parents at birth. When he grew up, he got a second name called a zi (字 “dzih”), or courtesy name. Friends used this courtesy name to show respect. The great planner Zhuge Liang had the courtesy name Kongming. That is why old stories often call him Zhuge Kongming. Confucius was Kong Qiu by his ming, and Zhongni by his zi. This custom slowly gave way to simpler names in the 1900s. Today, most Chinese people use just one first name and one last name.
- Ming, from parents
- Liang 亮 “lyahng”
- Zi, for friends
- Kongming 孔明 “koong-ming”
- Ming, from parents
- Qiu 丘 “chyoh”
- Zi, for friends
- Zhongni 仲尼 “joong-nee”
How Does a Chinese Passport Show First Name and Last Name?
A Chinese passport has two separate boxes. The Surname box shows the last name, and the Given names box shows the first name.
P<CHNZHANG<<WEI<<<<Both boxes show the name in Chinese characters and in capital Pinyin letters. So the order question is solved right on the page. The table below shows how one name appears.
| Passport box | Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 姓 / Surnamesounds like “shing” | Last name | 张 / ZHANGsounds like “jahng” |
| 名 / Given namessounds like “ming” | First name | 伟 / WEIsounds like “way” |
| Bottom code lines | Surname, then given name | P<CHNZHANG<<WEI<<<< |
The code at the bottom is for scanning machines at airports. A world travel group, ICAO, sets its rules in a paper called Doc 9303. The surname comes first, then two "<" signs, then the given name.
So for a first name/last name Chinese passport, the rule is simple. Copy the Surname box into "last name." Copy the Given names box into "first name." This keeps plane tickets and visas matching the passport.
Airlines care about this match. A ticket for "Wei Zhang" and a passport for "ZHANG WEI" are the same person. The boxes, not the order on the page, tell the airline which part is which. Booking with the exact Chinese passport first name and last name keeps check-in smooth.
Taiwan and Hong Kong passports work the same way. They use a Surname box and a Given names box too.
How Do You Write a Chinese Name on Western Forms?
Put the Chinese surname in the "Last name" box and the given name in the "First name" box. Leave "Middle name" empty.
This rule is the same for every form, from school forms to bank forms. So the first name and last name for Chinese people never change places. Only the order they are written in changes.
Here is an example. Chen Xiaoming fills in a form in Canada. He writes Chen as his last name. He writes Xiaoming as his first name. He keeps the middle name box clear.
Many forms use the words "family name" and "given name." Those words make it even clearer. Family name means last name, and given name means first name.
A good tip for first name/last name for Chinese names is to keep one spelling. Use the same spelling on every form. It matches your passport and saves time later.
How Do Name Styles Differ in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore?
All three places put the surname first. They differ in how they spell and split the given name.
The table below shows the common style in each place.
| Place | Example | Last name | First name | Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mainland China | Wang Jianguo | Wang | Jianguo | Pinyin, given name joined |
| Taiwan | Lin Chih-wei | Lin | Chih-wei | Older spelling, often with a hyphen |
| Hong Kong | Chan Tai-man | Chan | Tai-man | Cantonese spelling, often with a hyphen |
| Singapore | Tan Wei Ming | Tan | Wei Ming | Given name as two separate words |
Singapore's style has a neat feature. In Tan Wei Ming, Wei Ming is one first name in two parts. Lee Kuan Yew is a famous example of this style.
Hong Kong adds one more twist. Many people use an English first name in front. So Chan Tai-man may write "Peter Chan Tai-man." Peter is the English name, Chan is the surname, and Tai-man is the Chinese first name.
What Else Do People Ask About Chinese First and Last Names?
Are Chinese last names first in every country?
Yes, in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Abroad, some people happily use the English order too.
What is the Chinese first name last name for Jackie Chan?
His Chinese birth name is Chan Kong-sang (陈港生 “chun-gahng-shung”). Chan is his last name, and Kong-sang is his first name.
Do Chinese names always have three characters?
No. Many have two, like Yao Ming. Some have four, like Ouyang Zhenhua, with a two-character surname.
How do you address a Chinese person politely?
Use the surname with a title. Say Mr. Wang, Ms. Li, or Teacher Zhang. The surname always goes with the title.
Can a Chinese first name have one character?
Yes. Yao Ming and Li Na both have one-character first names. Two-character first names are more common today.
Should I flip my Chinese name on an English resume?
Either order works if it is clear. Many people write the surname in capital letters, like ZHANG Wei. That shows the last name right away.