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Chinese last names: 130+ surnames and 150+ spellings with characters and meanings

155 names · Updated · By The Nomezo Editors · Save to Pinterest

The most common Chinese last names are Wang (王, king), Li (李, plum tree) and Zhang (张, to draw a bow), followed by Liu and Chen. Together these five cover 30.8% of China's registered population, according to the Ministry of Public Security's 2020 National Name Report.

Below are 130+ Chinese surnames in 150+ spellings, each with its pinyin spelling, its character (simplified, then traditional where they differ), its meaning and well-known alternate spellings such as Wong, Chan and Lim. Sections cover the most common names, surnames from ancient states and from nature, famous families, rare two-character surnames and the Cantonese and Hokkien spellings you will meet in Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and Chinatowns worldwide.

Can't decide? Shuffle 6 random picks

  • Lü (吕 / 呂)

    Spine; also musical pitch pipes. Cantonese Lui. Written Lyu, or typed Lv, without the ü

  • Wei (韦 / 韋)

    Soft leather. Cantonese spelling Wai

  • Bai (柏)

    Cypress tree. Cantonese spelling Pak

  • Sima (司马 / 司馬)

    Master of horses, an old title for minister of war

  • Cui (崔)

    Lofty, towering. Cantonese Tsui; Korean Choi uses this character

  • Liang (梁)

    Roof beam or bridge. Cantonese spelling Leung. Say LYAHNG

Find a Chinese surname on this page

Narrow 155 surnames by how common they are in the 2020 US Census, by section, length or first letter, or search the meanings.

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The most common Chinese last names

The 20 most common surnames in the Ministry of Public Security's national surname reports. Wang, Li, Zhang, Liu and Chen have held the top five places in every recent report; the order further down shifts from year to year.

  1. Wang (王) US #151: King. Also spelled Wong in Cantonese, Ong in Hokkien. Say WAHNG
  2. Li (李) US #154: Plum tree. Often spelled Lee; family name of the Tang emperors
  3. Zhang (张 / 張) US #252: To draw a bow. Also Cheung (Cantonese) and Chang. Say JAHNG
  4. Liu (刘 / 劉) US #232: An old word for a battle-axe; the Han emperors' family. Cantonese Lau
  5. Chen (陈 / 陳) US #93: From an ancient state in Henan. Cantonese Chan, Hokkien Tan
  6. Yang (杨 / 楊) US #199: Poplar tree. Cantonese Yeung, Hokkien Yeo. Say YAHNG
  7. Huang (黄 / 黃) US #314: Yellow. Cantonese Wong, Hokkien Ng or Wee. Say HWAHNG
  8. Zhao (赵 / 趙) US #877: From the old city of Zhao, given to the charioteer Zaofu; first in the Hundred Family Surnames
  9. Wu (吴 / 吳) US #318: From an ancient state in the Yangtze delta. Cantonese Ng, Hokkien Goh
  10. Zhou (周) US #871: Circuit, complete; shares its character with China's longest dynasty. Cantonese Chow
  11. Xu (徐) US #763: Slowly, gently. Cantonese Tsui, Wade-Giles Hsu. Say SHOO
  12. Sun (孙 / 孫) US #929: Grandson or descendant. Cantonese spelling Suen. Say SWUN
  13. Ma (马 / 馬) US #892: Horse, the same character as the zodiac Horse. Say MAH
  14. Zhu (朱) US #966: Vermilion red; family name of the Ming emperors. Say JOO
  15. Hu (胡) US #1,164: Whiskers or beard, as in huzi. Cantonese spelling Woo
  16. Guo (郭) US #1,700: Outer city wall. Cantonese Kwok, Hokkien Quek. Say GWAW
  17. He (何) US #1,286: What or how. Cantonese spelling Ho. Say HUH
  18. Lin (林) US #259: Forest, written as two trees. Cantonese Lam, Hokkien Lim
  19. Gao (高) US #1,596: Tall, high. Also spelled Kao or Ko. Say GOW
  20. Luo (罗 / 羅) US #2,191: A bird net; also the small ancient state of Luo. Cantonese Lo or Law. Say LWAW

Chinese last names from ancient states

Many families took the name of the Zhou-era state or fief their ancestors ruled or lived in.

  1. Zheng (郑 / 鄭) US #781: From a Zhou-era state in Henan. Also spelled Cheng. Say JUNG
  2. Song (宋) US #1,105: From a Zhou-era state centered on Shangqiu. Wade-Giles Sung
  3. Han (韩 / 韓) US #953: From a Warring States kingdom. Cantonese Hon; also a Korean surname
  4. Deng (邓 / 鄧) US #2,521: From a small Zhou-era state. Cantonese Tang, Wade-Giles Teng
  5. Cao (曹) US #1,324: From a Zhou-era state in Shandong. Cantonese Tso. Say TSOW
  6. Cai (蔡) US #2,651: From a Zhou-era state. Cantonese Choi, Hokkien Chua. Say TSIGH
  7. Wei (魏) US #2,425: Lofty; also a Warring States kingdom. Cantonese Ngai. Say WAY
  8. Jiang (蒋 / 蔣) US #1,014: From a small Zhou-era state. Wade-Giles Chiang, as in Chiang Kai-shek
  9. Xue (薛): From an ancient state in Shandong. Wade-Giles Hsueh. Say SHWEH
  10. Qi (齐 / 齊): Even, orderly; a powerful Zhou-era state in Shandong. Say CHEE
  11. Lu (鲁 / 魯) US #717: From Confucius's home state in Shandong. Cantonese spelling Lo
  12. Chu (楚) US #1,154: Clear, neat; also a great southern state of old. Cantonese Cho
  13. Qin (秦): From the state that unified China in 221 BC. Say CHIN
  14. Zou (邹 / 鄒) US #4,435: From a small state, birthplace of Mencius. Say DZOH
  15. Shen (沈) US #1,925: From an ancient state; the character also means sink. Cantonese Sham
  16. Jia (贾 / 賈): From a Zhou-era state; the character also means merchant
  17. Zeng (曾) US #2,852: Great-, as in great-grandfather; also an ancient state. Cantonese Tsang
  18. Xu (许 / 許) US #763: To allow or permit; also an ancient state. Cantonese Hui
  19. Wei (卫 / 衛) US #2,425: To guard or defend; also a Zhou-era state. Cantonese Wai

Chinese last names from nature

Surnames written with the characters for trees, flowers, weather and landscape.

  1. Ye (叶 / 葉) US #2,281: Leaf. Cantonese Yip, Hakka Yap, Wade-Giles Yeh
  2. Shi (石) US #2,051: Stone, rock. Cantonese Shek, Wade-Giles Shih. Say SHUR
  3. Jiang (江) US #1,014: River, especially the Yangtze. Cantonese spelling Kong
  4. Lei (雷) US #3,478: Thunder. Cantonese spelling Lui. Say LAY
  5. Xia (夏): Summer; also the traditional first dynasty of China. Say SHYAH
  6. Tian (田): Field, farmland. Cantonese Tin, Wade-Giles Tien. Say TYEN
  7. Hua (花) US #4,221: Flower; given to the heroine Mulan in later retellings
  8. Mei (梅) US #3,578: Plum blossom. Cantonese Mui, Taishanese Moy. Say MAY
  9. Lan (兰 / 蘭): Orchid, a symbol of refinement. Say LAHN
  10. Yun (云 / 雲) US #3,640: Cloud. Cantonese spelling Wan. Say YOON
  11. Liu (柳) US #232: Willow tree. Korean Ryu and Yu share the character
  12. Bai (柏): Cypress tree. Cantonese spelling Pak
  13. Du (杜) US #3,097: Birchleaf pear tree. Cantonese To, Wade-Giles Tu. Say DOO
  14. Xiao (萧 / 蕭) US #3,387: Mugwort, a fragrant herb; often written 肖 in mainland China. Cantonese Siu, Wade-Giles Hsiao
  15. Hong (洪) US #1,047: Flood, vast waters. Cantonese Hung, Hokkien Ang
  16. Wang (汪) US #151: Vast, deep water. Also spelled Wong
  17. Su (苏 / 蘇) US #2,034: To revive; also the perilla herb. Cantonese So
  18. Qiu (邱) US #4,206: Hill. Cantonese Yau, Hokkien Khoo. Say CHYOH

Chinese surnames from animals, colors and treasures

Surnames written with the characters for creatures, colors and wealth.

  1. Long (龙 / 龍) US #100: Dragon. Cantonese and Wade-Giles spelling Lung
  2. Feng (凤 / 鳳) US #2,163: Phoenix. Cantonese spelling Fung. Say FUNG
  3. Xiong (熊) US #750: Bear. Cantonese Hung, Wade-Giles Hsiung. In the US, mostly a Hmong clan name. Say SHYOONG
  4. Niu (牛): Ox or cow. Cantonese spelling Ngau. Say NYOH
  5. Bai (白): White. Cantonese Pak, Wade-Giles Pai. Say BYE
  6. Jin (金) US #2,228: Gold, metal. Cantonese Kam; Korean Kim uses this character
  7. Qian (钱 / 錢): Money, coins; second in the Hundred Family Surnames. Say CHYEN
  8. Wan (万 / 萬) US #4,631: Ten thousand, a myriad. Cantonese spelling Man
  9. Mao (毛) US #4,588: Hair, fur. Cantonese spelling Mo. Say MOW
  10. Yan (燕) US #2,105: Swallow, the bird; also a northern state near Beijing

Chinese surnames meaning good qualities

Surnames whose characters name a virtue, a feeling or a quality.

  1. Gan (甘): Sweet. Cantonese spelling Kam. Say GAHN
  2. An (安) US #3,684: Peace, safety. Cantonese On; Korean Ahn uses this character
  3. Kang (康) US #985: Health, well-being. Cantonese spelling Hong
  4. Wen (温 / 溫) US #4,040: Warm, gentle. Cantonese spelling Wan
  5. Yan (严 / 嚴) US #2,105: Strict, stern. Cantonese Yim, Wade-Giles Yen
  6. Chang (常) US #373: Constant, often. Cantonese Sheung; not the Wade-Giles spelling of 张
  7. Zhuo (卓): Outstanding, eminent. Cantonese spelling Cheuk. Say JWAW
  8. Rong (荣 / 榮): Glory, honor. Cantonese spelling Wing. Say ROHNG
  9. Pang (庞 / 龐) US #4,147: Huge, enormous. Cantonese spelling Pong
  10. Qiao (乔 / 喬): Tall, lofty. Cantonese Kiu, Wade-Giles Chiao. Say CHYOW
  11. Cui (崔) US #4,862: Lofty, towering. Cantonese Tsui; Korean Choi uses this character
  12. Yi (易) US #1,844: Change, or easy, as in the Yijing. Cantonese Yik
  13. Yin (殷) US #3,572: Abundant; also another name for the Shang dynasty. Cantonese Yan
  14. Mo (莫): Do not, none. Cantonese spelling Mok. Say MWAW

Chinese surnames of famous families

Surnames tied to philosophers, rulers, generals and legends.

  1. Kong (孔) US #2,293: Opening, hole; the family name of Confucius. Cantonese Hung
  2. Meng (孟) US #4,651: Eldest; the family name of Mencius. Say MUNG
  3. Wu (武) US #318: Martial; surname of Wu Zetian, China's only reigning empress
  4. Zuo (左): Left. The Tso in General Tso's chicken. Say DZWAW
  5. Yue (岳): High mountain. Wade-Giles Yueh, Cantonese Ngok. Say YWEH
  6. Guan (关 / 關) US #3,442: Mountain pass or gate; surname of Guan Yu, the general later worshipped as a god. Cantonese Kwan
  7. Yao (姚) US #3,235: Handsome; linked to the legendary sage-king Shun. Cantonese Yiu
  8. Jiang (姜) US #1,014: One of the oldest clan names, tied to the Yan Emperor
  9. Shao (邵): From an ancient fief; also spelled Shaw, as in Run Run Shaw
  10. Tang (汤 / 湯) US #794: Soup, hot water. Cantonese Tong; also the Shang dynasty founder

Chinese surnames from titles, jobs and everyday words

Surnames that are also ordinary words for ranks, trades, objects and actions.

  1. Hou (侯): Marquis, a noble rank. Cantonese spelling Hau. Say HOH
  2. Fu (傅) US #2,903: Tutor, teacher. Also spelled Foo
  3. Shi (史) US #2,051: History; originally a court scribe or historian. Cantonese Sze
  4. Yin (尹) US #3,572: To govern; an official. Cantonese Wan; Korean Yoon uses this character
  5. Tao (陶): Pottery, ceramics. Cantonese spelling To. Say TOW
  6. Che (车 / 車): Cart, carriage. Korean Cha uses this character. Say CHUH
  7. Gong (宫 / 宮) US #4,278: Palace. Cantonese spelling Kung
  8. Bao (包): To wrap; a bundle. Cantonese Pau, Wade-Giles Pao. Say BOW
  9. Ren (任) US #3,943: Duty, office; to appoint. Cantonese Yam, Wade-Giles Jen
  10. Dong (董) US #1,887: To supervise or direct. Cantonese and Wade-Giles Tung
  11. Zhong (钟 / 鍾) US #3,839: Goblet or bell. Also spelled Chung or Chong
  12. Wei (韦 / 韋) US #2,425: Soft leather. Cantonese spelling Wai
  13. Yuan (袁) US #2,732: Originally a long, flowing robe. Cantonese Yuen. Say YWEN
  14. Duan (段): Section, segment. Cantonese Tuen, Wade-Giles Tuan. Say DWAHN
  15. Cheng (程) US #865: Rule, procedure, journey. Cantonese spelling Ching
  16. Pan (潘) US #1,989: Water used to rinse rice. Cantonese spelling Poon
  17. Lü (吕 / 呂) US #717: Spine; also musical pitch pipes. Cantonese Lui. Written Lyu, or typed Lv, without the ü
  18. Feng (冯 / 馮) US #2,163: Galloping horse. Cantonese spelling Fung
  19. Peng (彭) US #2,757: The sound of a drumbeat. Cantonese spelling Pang. Say PUNG
  20. Tang (唐) US #794: Shares its character with the 618 to 907 dynasty. Cantonese Tong
  21. Liang (梁) US #1,066: Roof beam or bridge. Cantonese spelling Leung. Say LYAHNG
  22. Xie (谢 / 謝) US #2,207: To thank. Cantonese Tse, Wade-Giles Hsieh, Hokkien Chia
  23. Gu (顾 / 顧) US #3,807: To look after, attend to. Also spelled Koo or Ku
  24. Fang (方) US #2,494: Square; direction. Cantonese Fong, Hokkien Png
  25. Yu (余) US #495: An old word for I or me. Say YOO
  26. Yu (于) US #495: At, in; an old preposition. Say YOO
  27. Tan (谭 / 譚) US #856: To talk or discuss. Cantonese spelling Tam. Say TAHN

Two-character Chinese surnames

Rare compound surnames, most of them from old official titles or places.

  1. Ouyang (欧阳 / 歐陽): South side of Mount Ouyu. Cantonese spelling Au-Yeung
  2. Sima (司马 / 司馬): Master of horses, an old title for minister of war
  3. Zhuge (诸葛 / 諸葛): Compound surname of the strategist Kongming. Wade-Giles Chu-ko
  4. Shangguan (上官): From Shangguan, a town where a Chu prince settled; literally upper official. Say SHAHNG-gwahn
  5. Situ (司徒): Minister of the masses, an old title. Cantonese Szeto or Seto
  6. Dongfang (东方 / 東方): The east, literally east direction. Say DONG-fahng
  7. Gongsun (公孙 / 公孫): Grandson of a duke. Wade-Giles Kung-sun
  8. Ximen (西门 / 西門): West gate; a two-character surname. Say SHEE-mun
  9. Nangong (南宫 / 南宮): Southern palace; a two-character surname. Say NAHN-gong
  10. Zhangsun (长孙 / 長孫): Eldest grandson; surname of a Tang dynasty empress
  11. Dongguo (东郭 / 東郭): East outer city wall; known from a Chinese wolf fable
  12. Sikong (司空): Minister of works, an old official title. Say SUH-kong

Cantonese and Hokkien spellings of Chinese surnames

The same characters are spelled differently in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and older Chinatowns. These are the spellings you will meet most.

  1. Wong (黃 or 王) US #271: Cantonese spelling of Huang (黃), yellow, and of Wang (王), king
  2. Chan (陈 / 陳) US #384: Cantonese spelling of Chen, an ancient state
  3. Lee (李) US #19: Plum tree; the usual English spelling of Li
  4. Cheung (张 / 張) US #1,789: Cantonese spelling of Zhang, to draw a bow
  5. Lau (刘 / 劉) US #1,136: Cantonese spelling of Liu, an old word for battle-axe
  6. Ng (吳 or 黃) US #1,060: Cantonese spelling of Wu (吳); Hokkien spelling of Huang (黃), yellow
  7. Lam (林) US #555: Forest; Cantonese spelling of Lin
  8. Leung (梁) US #1,702: Roof beam; Cantonese spelling of Liang
  9. Kwok (郭): Outer city wall; Cantonese spelling of Guo
  10. Yip (叶 / 葉): Leaf; Cantonese spelling of Ye
  11. Tse (谢 / 謝): To thank; Cantonese spelling of Xie
  12. Ho (何) US #591: What or how; Cantonese spelling of He
  13. Chow (周) US #2,052: Cantonese spelling of Zhou, circuit or complete
  14. Tsang (曾): Cantonese spelling of Zeng, great- as in great-grandfather
  15. Tam (谭 / 譚) US #2,659: To talk or discuss; Cantonese spelling of Tan (谭)
  16. Tan (陈 / 陳) US #856: Hokkien and Teochew spelling of Chen, an ancient state
  17. Lim (林) US #839: Forest; Hokkien and Teochew spelling of Lin
  18. Ong (王) US #3,350: King; Hokkien spelling of Wang
  19. Goh (吴 / 吳): Hokkien spelling of Wu, an ancient state
  20. Teo (张 / 張): Teochew and Hokkien spelling of Zhang, to draw a bow
  21. Ang (洪): Flood, vast waters; Hokkien spelling of Hong
  22. Koh (許 or 高): Hokkien spelling of Xu (許), to allow; also used for Gao (高), tall
  23. Khoo (邱): Hill; Hokkien spelling of Qiu
  24. Chua (蔡): Hokkien spelling of Cai, an ancient state
  25. Yeo (杨 / 楊): Poplar; Hokkien spelling of Yang

How to pick the right name

Match the spelling to the region

Pinyin spellings like Wang and Chen are standard in mainland China. Hong Kong families usually use Cantonese spellings like Wong and Chan, and Singapore and Malaysia often use Hokkien or Teochew ones like Ong and Tan.

Check the character

Several surnames share one spelling. Xu can be 徐 (slowly) or 许 (to allow), and Wang can be 王 (king) or 汪 (vast waters), so always note the character.

Put the surname first

In Chinese the family name comes first, so in Zhang Wei the surname is Zhang. Many people abroad reverse the order on English documents.

Pick a fitting surname for a character

For a story or game, a common surname like Lin or Chen sounds natural and modern, while a compound surname like Zhuge or Ouyang feels rare and literary.

Chinese last names: 155 ideas from Nomezo

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Chinese last names: one spelling for many surnames, and the names rising fastest in the US

By The Nomezo Editors · Updated October 25, 2026 · How we research names

A Chinese surname is a character, and its English spelling depends on who wrote it down. 黃 is Huang in Mandarin pinyin, Wong in Cantonese and Ng in Hokkien, while Wong can also be 王, Wang. Mainland China has used pinyin for names since 1958; Hong Kong, Taiwan and older Chinatowns kept other spellings.

In the US, pinyin surnames are rising fast: Zhang grew 74% between the 2010 and 2020 Census, while the Cantonese spelling Wong barely changed. The finder above narrows the surnames on this page and shows each one's US Census rank.

  1. Step 1Start from the characterThe character, not the spelling, is the surname.
  2. Step 2Pick the right spellingMandarin, Cantonese or Hokkien: the notes give each.
  3. Step 3Check how common it isChen is No. 93 in the US; Ouyang is rare.
  4. Step 4Mind the familyMarried women traditionally keep their own surname.

Chinese surnames in the US

Chinese surnames in the US Census
SurnameRank in 2020People in 2020Change since 2010
Chen#93233,798+38%
Wang#151169,987+55%
Li#154165,790+48%
Liu#232127,257+62%
Zhang#252122,053+74%
Lin#259116,776+47%
Wong#271112,062+1%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 surnames; changes compare the two counts. Lee is No. 19 in the US but is shared with English and Korean families.

One spelling, many surnames

English spellings that stand for more than one Chinese surname
SpellingSurnamesWhere the spelling comes from
Wong黃 Huang or 王 WangCantonese
Ng吳 Wu or 黃 HuangCantonese for Wu; Hokkien for Huang
Koh許 Xu or 高 GaoHokkien for Xu
Chang張 Zhang or 常 ChangWade-Giles for Zhang

Taiwan adopted pinyin in 2009 but still lets people use other spellings on passports, so Wade-Giles forms with hs and ts remain common (Wikipedia).

How Chinese surnames work

  • A short list. Wang, Li, Zhang, Liu and Chen together cover 30.8% of China's registered population, according to the Ministry of Public Security's 2020 name report (The Paper, in Chinese).
  • The Hundred Family Surnames. This Song-dynasty primer lists 504 surnames, 444 of one character and 60 of two, and puts Zhao first because it was the surname of the Song emperors (Wikipedia).
  • Marriage and children. A married woman traditionally keeps her own surname. Children usually take the father's, though mainland China's marriage law lets a child use either parent's surname (Wikipedia).

Sources

Frequently asked questions

What is the most common Chinese last name?

Wang (王), meaning king. China's Ministry of Public Security ranked it first in its 2020 National Name Report, ahead of Li, Zhang, Liu and Chen.

Why do Chinese last names have different spellings?

The same character is pronounced and romanized differently across dialects and systems. 黄 is Huang in pinyin, Wong in Cantonese and Ng in Hokkien, and 张 is Zhang in pinyin but Chang in the older Wade-Giles system.

What are the Hundred Family Surnames?

It is a rhyming list of Chinese surnames from the Song dynasty, long used to teach children characters. It opens with Zhao, Qian, Sun and Li.

What is a two-character Chinese surname?

It is a compound surname written with two characters, such as Ouyang, Sima or Zhuge. Most began as official titles or place names, and they are far rarer than single-character surnames.

Are Chinese last names used in Korea and Vietnam?

Many share the same characters. The Korean surnames Kim and Lee are written 金 and 李 (Jin and Li in Chinese), and the Vietnamese Nguyễn is written 阮 (Ruan).

Is Wong the same as Wang?

Sometimes. Wong is the Cantonese spelling of two different surnames, 黃 (Huang in Mandarin, meaning yellow) and 王 (Wang, meaning king). Only the character tells you which.

Do Chinese women change their surname when they marry?

Traditionally no: a married woman keeps her own surname. Children usually take the father's, though the law in mainland China allows either parent's surname.

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