Chinese Last Names & Surnames — 100 Common Chinese Family Names and Their Meanings (2026)

What is the most common last name in the world? Wang. Not Smith, not Garcia, not Kim — Wang, shared by over 95 million people in China alone. In total, about 1.3 billion people worldwide share just 100 Chinese surnames, making them the most concentrated family-name system on Earth.

Chinese surnames (姓, xìng) have a history stretching back over 5,000 years. Unlike Western surnames that often come from occupations (Smith, Baker) or locations (London, Hill), most Chinese surnames originated from ancient clan names, feudal states, or noble titles during the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE).

This guide covers everything you need to know about Chinese last names: the top 100 surnames ranked by frequency, their character meanings, pronunciation guides, and the cultural rules that still govern naming today.

Why Chinese Surnames Matter

In Chinese culture, your surname comes first — it is not a "last name" in the Western sense at all. The family name is placed before the given name, reflecting the culture's emphasis on family over the individual.

Key facts about Chinese surnames

There are only about 4,000 surnames in active use — compared to hundreds of thousands in English
The top 3 surnames (Wang, Li, Zhang) cover over 250 million people — that is more than the population of Indonesia
About 85% of Chinese people share one of the top 100 surnames
Most Chinese surnames are a single character (单姓, dān xìng). A small number are two characters (复姓, fù xìng), like Ouyang (欧阳) or Sima (司马)
Women keep their maiden name after marriage — taking the husband's surname is not a Chinese tradition

The Top 100 Most Common Chinese Surnames

Below is the complete list of the 100 most common Chinese surnames, based on the 2020 Chinese census and government household registration data. Each entry includes the character, pinyin pronunciation, and literal meaning.

Top 10 (Over 20 Million Each)

Rank	Character	Pinyin	Meaning	Estimated Population
1	王	Wáng	King, monarch	95+ million
2	李	Lǐ	Plum	93+ million
3	张	Zhāng	Draw a bow, stretch	90+ million
4	刘	Liú	Kill, destroy (ancient)	72+ million
5	陈	Chén	Exhibit, display	64+ million
6	杨	Yáng	Poplar tree	44+ million
7	赵	Zhào	Ancient state name	30+ million
8	黄	Huáng	Yellow	29+ million
9	周	Zhōu	Circle, circumference	27+ million
10	吴	Wú	Ancient kingdom name	26+ million

11–30 (5–20 Million Each)

Rank	Character	Pinyin	Meaning
11	徐	Xú	Slowly, gently
12	孙	Sūn	Grandson, descendant
13	马	Mǎ	Horse
14	胡	Hú	Beard, barbarian (ancient)
15	朱	Zhū	Vermilion, cinnabar
16	郭	Guō	Outer city wall
17	何	Hé	Carry, what
18	林	Lín	Forest
19	罗	Luó	Net for catching birds
20	高	Gāo	Tall, high
21	梁	Liáng	Roof beam, bridge
22	郑	Zhèng	Ancient state name
23	谢	Xiè	Thank, wither
24	宋	Sòng	Ancient state name
25	唐	Táng	Boastful, ancient dynasty
26	韩	Hán	Ancient state name
27	曹	Cáo	Government department
28	许	Xǔ	Allow, permit
29	邓	Dèng	Ancient state name
30	冯	Féng	Gallop (ancient)

31–60 (2–5 Million Each)

Rank	Character	Pinyin	Meaning
31	萧	Xiāo	Desolate, bleak
32	程	Chéng	Rule, regulation
33	蔡	Cài	Tortoise shell (ancient)
34	彭	Péng	Drum sound (ancient)
35	潘	Pān	Water for washing rice
36	袁	Yuán	Long robe (ancient)
37	于	Yú	At, in, on
38	董	Dǒng	Supervise, direct
39	余	Yú	I, me, surplus
40	苏	Sū	Revive, restore
41	叶	Yè	Leaf
42	吕	Lǚ	Spine, ancient state
43	魏	Wèi	Ancient state name
44	蒋	Jiǎng	Grass (ancient)
45	田	Tián	Field, farmland
46	杜	Dù	Birchleaf pear
47	丁	Dīng	Nail, male adult
48	沈	Shěn	Sink, ancient state
49	姜	Jiāng	Ginger
50	范	Fàn	Pattern, model
51	江	Jiāng	River
52	傅	Fù	Teacher, assist
53	钟	Zhōng	Bell, clock
54	卢	Lú	Ancient state name
55	汪	Wāng	Body of water
56	戴	Dài	Wear, put on
57	崔	Cuī	High, lofty
58	任	Rén	Responsibility
59	陆	Lù	Land, continent
60	廖	Liào	Ancient state name

61–100 (1–2 Million Each)

Rank	Character	Pinyin	Meaning
61	姚	Yáo	Beautiful (ancient)
62	方	Fāng	Square, direction
63	金	Jīn	Gold, metal
64	邱	Qiū	Hill, mound
65	夏	Xià	Summer
66	谭	Tán	Talk, discuss
67	石	Shí	Stone
68	熊	Xióng	Bear
69	毛	Máo	Hair, fur
70	白	Bái	White
71	秦	Qín	Ancient dynasty
72	江	Jiāng	River
73	史	Shǐ	History
74	顾	Gù	Look after
75	侯	Hóu	Marquis, noble
76	邵	Shào	Ancient place name
77	孟	Mèng	First, eldest
78	龙	Lóng	Dragon
79	万	Wàn	Ten thousand
80	段	Duàn	Segment, section
81	雷	Léi	Thunder
82	钱	Qián	Money, coin
83	汤	Tāng	Soup, hot water
84	尹	Yǐn	Govern (ancient)
85	易	Yì	Change, easy
86	黎	Lí	Black, dawn
87	常	Cháng	Often, constant
88	武	Wǔ	Military, martial
89	乔	Qiáo	Tall, pretentious
90	贺	Hè	Congratulate
91	赖	Lài	Depend on
92	龚	Gōng	Respectful
93	文	Wén	Literature, writing
94	庞	Páng	Huge, enormous
95	樊	Fán	Cage, fence
96	兰	Lán	Orchid
97	殷	Yīn	Abundant, dark red
98	施	Shī	Bestow, execute
99	陶	Táo	Pottery, ceramics
100	洪	Hóng	Flood, vast

Two-Character (Compound) Surnames

While most Chinese surnames are single characters, about 1% are compound surnames (复姓, fù xìng). Some of the most notable include:

Surname	Pinyin	Notable Figures
欧阳	Ōuyáng	Most common compound surname
司马	Sīmǎ	Sima Qian (historian)
上官	Shàngguān	Ancient official title
夏侯	Xiàhóu	Descendants of Yu the Great
诸葛	Zhūgě	Zhuge Liang (strategist)
司徒	Sītú	Minister of Education (ancient)
司空	Sīkōng	Minister of Works (ancient)
慕容	Mùróng	Xianbei tribal name

How Chinese Surnames Are Passed Down

Chinese surname inheritance follows strict rules:

Patrilineal by default — children traditionally inherit the father's surname
Dual-surname trend — since the 2010s, some families combine both parents' surnames (e.g., Zhang-Li), though this is still uncommon
No change at marriage — Chinese women almost never take their husband's surname
Same-surname marriage taboo — traditionally, people with the same surname (even unrelated) were discouraged from marrying, though this rule is fading in modern China

Why Chinese Surnames Are So Concentrated

The extreme concentration of Chinese surnames (top 3 cover ~20% of the population) has historical roots:

Ancient clan system — during the Zhou Dynasty, surnames were granted by emperors to loyal nobles
Imperial surname grants — emperors sometimes gave their own surname to loyal subjects
Migration patterns — large populations with the same surname settled together
Simplification — many ancient compound surnames were shortened to single characters over time

How to Find Your Chinese Name

If you are looking for a Chinese name, understanding surnames is the first step. Most Chinese names given to foreigners start with a common Chinese surname followed by a given name that reflects a positive quality or meaning.

To find a Chinese name that actually works:

Start with a common surname — pick one from the top 30 above
Choose a given name with good meaning — pick characters that reflect qualities you value
Check the tones — make sure the full name sounds natural in Mandarin
Avoid negative homophones — some character combinations sound like unfortunate words
Use a name checker — run your chosen name through a verification tool

Try our Personal Name Checker to verify your Chinese name. It checks for character collisions, cultural appropriateness, and unintended meanings.

Common Questions About Chinese Surnames

Q: What is the rarest Chinese surname? A: Some of the rarest include 难 (Nàn, meaning "difficult"), 死 (Sǐ, meaning "death"), and 黑 (Hēi, meaning "black"). These are extremely uncommon, with only a few hundred bearers each.

Q: Do Chinese people have middle names? A: No. Chinese names typically have two parts: a one-character surname (姓) and a one- or two-character given name (名). There is no middle name.

Q: Can I use a Chinese surname if I am not Chinese? A: Yes, many non-Chinese people adopt Chinese surnames when they get a Chinese name. The most popular choices for foreigners are the top surnames (李, 王, 张) because they are widely recognized.

Q: Why do some Chinese people have English first names? A: Many Chinese people adopt English names for international settings. This is a personal choice, not a naming requirement. Their legal Chinese name remains unchanged.

Final Thoughts

Chinese surnames carry over 5,000 years of history in a single character. Whether you are choosing a Chinese name for yourself, researching your family heritage, or simply curious about the world's most concentrated surname system, understanding these 100 names gives you a window into Chinese culture that few other topics can match.

The next time you meet someone named Wang, Li, or Zhang — remember, you have just met one of the most common, yet historically rich, surnames on the planet.