Chinese name

Chinese personal names follow a number of conventions different from those of Western personal names. Most noticeably, a Chinese name is written with the surname first and the given name second. For instance, the basketball player Yao Ming is Mr. Yao, not Mr. Ming.

Family names

The Chinese name system is the original pattern of names in Eastern Asia. In fact, all countries in Eastern Asia have been following the Chinese name system. Today, there are over 700 different Chinese family names, but as few as twenty cover a majority of Chinese people. The variety in Chinese names therefore depends greatly on given names rather than family names. The great majority of Chinese family names have only one character, but there are a few with two.

Related Topics:
Chinese family name - Character

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Chinese family names are written first, something which often causes confusion among those from cultures where the family name usually comes last. Thus, the family name of Mao Zedong is Mao (?), and his given name is Zedong (??, ??).

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Chinese married women usually retain their maiden name as their family name, rather than adopt the name of their husband, and children usually inherit the father's family name. Historically, it was considered taboo to marry someone with the same family name--even if there is no direct relationship between those concerned--though in recent decades this has no longer been frowned upon.

Related Topics:
Family name - Taboo

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For more information, see Chinese family name.

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