A Chinese surname is one of the oldest things a person carries — a single character that can reach back thousands of years to an ancient state, a noble fief, or a name an emperor once handed down. And here is the surprise that catches every learner off guard: a tiny handful of these surnames is shared by hundreds of millions of people.
This guide lists the 100 most common Chinese surnames, ranked by how many people in mainland China actually bear them, with the characters, pinyin, what each one means, and free audio so you can hear them said correctly. Use the search box to jump straight to a character, a pinyin spelling, or a meaning.
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Why So Few Chinese Surnames?
In English, surnames number in the hundreds of thousands. In China, the picture is the opposite. The top five surnames — 王, 李, 张, 刘 and 陈 — cover roughly 30% of the entire population, and the top 100 account for about 85%. There are around 6,000 surnames still in use, but most people share one of a small, very crowded set.
王 (Wáng), 李 (Lǐ) and 张 (Zhāng) each belong to more than 100 million people. That is why ordinary folk are affectionately called 老百姓 (lǎobǎixìng) — literally “the old hundred surnames” — and why children once memorised a classic primer, the 百家姓 (Bǎijiāxìng, “Hundred Family Surnames”). If you meet five unrelated people all surnamed Wang, that is completely normal.
Where Chinese Surnames Come From
Most surnames trace back to one of a few origins, which is why so many of them are also ordinary words or place names:
- Ancient states and fiefs — many surnames are simply the name of a Zhou-era state a family came from: 陈 (Chén), 宋 (Sòng), 秦 (Qín), 韩 (Hán).
- Imperial surnames — dynastic houses spread their name widely. 李 (Lǐ) was the Tang ruling house, 刘 (Liú) the Han, 朱 (Zhū) the Ming.
- Official titles and occupations — 史 (Shǐ) meant “scribe-historian”, 司马 (Sīmǎ) “master of horses”.
- Nature and place — 林 (Lín, “forest”), 江 (Jiāng, “river”), 高 (Gāo, “tall”).
- Bestowed or changed names — emperors granted surnames as honours, and clans sometimes changed theirs to avoid a ruler’s taboo name.
The 100 Most Common Chinese Surnames
Here are the top 100, ranked by population in mainland China (Ministry of Public Security figures). Tap the ▶ on any card to hear it, or search by character, pinyin or meaning.
Many lineages descend from royalty of the Zhou dynasty and other states. China’s most common surname, with over 100 million bearers.
The imperial surname of the Tang dynasty (618–907); Tang emperors bestowed it on many subjects, vastly expanding the clan.
Traditionally traced to a legendary inventor of the bow under the Yellow Emperor; the character depicts a bow being drawn.
The imperial surname of the Han dynasty, founded by Liu Bang — one of China’s longest and most influential empires.
Derived from the ancient state of Chen, founded after the Zhou conquest; descendants took the state’s name.
Derived from the ancient state of Yang; the Sui dynasty’s imperial house bore this surname.
Traced to the ancient state of Huang in present-day Henan, annexed by Chu in 648 BC.
Surname of the state of Zhao and of the Song dynasty’s imperial house; placed first in the classic Hundred Family Surnames primer.
Derived from the ancient state of Wu in the lower Yangtze, traditionally founded by Taibo of the Zhou royal line.
Taken from the Zhou dynasty, China’s longest-lasting dynasty; many descendants of the Zhou royal house adopted it.
Derived from the ancient state of Xu, ruled by the Ying clan and conquered by Chu.
Borne by the strategist Sun Tzu (Sun Wu), author of The Art of War, and by Sun Yat-sen.
Often associated with Hui (Chinese Muslim) communities; partly traced to the general Zhao She, titled Lord Mafu.
The imperial surname of the Ming dynasty, founded by Zhu Yuanzhang.
Traced to the ancient state of Hu and to descendants of the legendary sage-king Shun.
Originally denoted people living by the outer wall of a city; also linked to the state of Guo.
Thought to derive from a phonetic shift of the surname Han (韩) after the fall of that state.
Traced to Bigan, a loyal prince of the Shang dynasty; especially common in Fujian and among overseas Chinese.
Derived from the ancient state of Luo, later absorbed by Chu. Some MPS relays place 罗 at 17 and 高 at 18.
Linked to noble lines of the state of Qi; the character means high or lofty.
Derived from the state of Zheng, founded in 806 BC by a younger brother of a Zhou king.
Taken from the state of Liang and several short-lived dynasties of that name.
The powerful Xie clan of Chen Commandery dominated Eastern Jin politics and culture.
Derived from the state of Song, created for descendants of the Shang royal house after the Zhou conquest.
Linked to the ancient Tang fief and the Tang dynasty.
Derived from the ancient state of Xu, founded for descendants of the legendary minister Boyi.
Derived from the state of Han, one of the Warring States carved from Jin; the legalist philosopher Han Fei bore it.
Derived from the ancient state of Deng; borne by reformist leader Deng Xiaoping.
An old surname linked to the Zhou-era fief of Feng.
Derived from the state of Cao; borne by the warlord-poet Cao Cao, founder of the Wei kingdom.
Traced to Peng Zu, a legendary figure said to have lived for centuries, a symbol of longevity.
Derived from the ancient state of Zeng; the philosopher Zengzi, a disciple of Confucius, is a celebrated ancestor.
In the MPS report this is largely a simplified-era merger with 萧 (Xiāo); read Xiāo as a surname.
The Tian clan usurped the rulership of the state of Qi during the Warring States period.
An ancient surname linked to the Han statesman Dong Zhongshu.
Derived from the Pan fief of the state of Bi in the Zhou period.
The Yuan clan of Runan were among the most powerful aristocratic families of the Eastern Han.
Derived from the state of Cai, founded by a younger brother of King Wu of Zhou.
Derived from the state of Jiang; borne by Chiang Kai-shek (Jiang Jieshi).
Said to descend from You Yu, an adviser to Duke Mu of Qin.
Derived from the ancient state of Yu, founded by a son of King Wu of Zhou.
Borne by the great Tang poet Du Fu; traced to the ancient state of Du.
As a surname it descends from the Chu noble Lord of Ye, and is read Yè (not Xié).
Borne by the Song Neo-Confucian brothers Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi.
Derived from the state of Wei (a Warring State) and the later Cao Wei and Northern Wei dynasties.
Borne by the Song literary giant Su Shi (Su Dongpo); also linked to the strategist Su Qin.
Traced to Jiang Ziya, enfeoffed at Lü; later borne by the Qin chancellor Lü Buwei.
An ancient surname; also common among Hui Muslim communities.
As a surname read Rén (second tone), not the common verb reading Rèn; one of the oldest Chinese surnames.
Traced to a fief named Lu granted to descendants of Jiang Ziya in the state of Qi.
One of the most ancient surnames, said to descend from the sage-king Shun, born by the Yao River.
Derived from the ancient state of Shen; as a surname read Shěn.
Traced to the Zhongli clan of the Chu nobility.
One of the oldest surnames — that of Jiang Ziya, founder of Qi — traced to the Yan Emperor.
The Cui clans of Qinghe and Boling were leading aristocratic houses through the Tang dynasty.
Derived from the ancient state of Tan, conquered by Qi in 684 BC.
Borne by the prolific Southern Song patriot-poet Lu You.
Borne by the strategist Fan Li and the Song reformer-writer Fan Zhongyan.
Traced to a fief named Wang in the state of Lu.
Derived from the ancient state of Liao (Liào).
Traced to Shi Que, a loyal minister of the state of Wey.
One source is the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan, whose name (aisin) means gold; also linked to Jin Midi of the Han court.
A major Zhuang surname in Guangxi; also traced to descendants of the ancient Shiwei.
As a surname read Jiǎ, not Gǔ; the Jia family centres the novel Dream of the Red Chamber.
Linked to descendants of the Xia dynasty, China’s legendary first dynasty.
Often a simplified variant used in place of the older surname 傅 (Fù).
Traced to the Zhou-era figure Fang Shu and to descendants of the Yan Emperor.
Derived from the small state of Zou, near the birthplace of Mencius.
The royal surname of the state of Chu, one of the greatest Zhou-era powers.
Borne by the great Tang poet Bai Juyi; some lines are of Central Asian (Sogdian) origin.
The surname of Mencius (Mèngzǐ), the great Confucian philosopher.
Derived from the state of Qin, which unified China in 221 BC under the First Emperor.
A variant of 丘 (Qiū); the character was altered in the Qing era to avoid Confucius’s given name Qiu (丘).
Derived from a noble title; traced to nobles of the state of Jin.
Derived from the ancient state of Jiang, absorbed by Chu.
An ancient surname from an official title; linked to Yi Yin, a famed Shang-dynasty minister.
Derived from the ancient state of Xue, one of the oldest recorded states.
A variant form of the surname 阎 (Yán).
The ruling house of the Dali Kingdom in Yunnan bore this surname.
Common among several southern minority peoples as well as Han Chinese.
Common among the Miao and other southern peoples; the dragon is the supreme auspicious creature.
Derived from the ancient state of Li, mentioned in early Zhou records.
Derived from the hereditary office of court scribe-historian (shi).
Borne by the beloved poet Tao Yuanming; traced to a fief named Tao.
Adopted when the Qing (慶) clan changed their name in the Han to avoid an emperor’s taboo name.
Derived from the Zhou-era fief of Mao; borne by Mao Zedong.
Traced to a fief named Hao granted in the Shang dynasty.
The Gu clan of Wu were a leading family of the lower Yangtze.
Traced to descendants of the legendary Gonggong, a water-controlling official-deity.
A variant of 召 (Shào), derived from the Zhou statesman the Duke of Shao.
Re-entered the top 100 in recent MPS reports; traced to a Zhou-era figure named Wan.
As a surname read Qín (a major Zhuang surname in Guangxi) or, for some lineages, Tán.
Borne by Wu Zetian, China’s only reigning female emperor.
Placed second in the classic Hundred Family Surnames primer, honouring the ruling Qian house of Wuyue.
Derived from the posthumous title of a duke of the state of Song.
Adopted when the Zhuang (莊) clan changed their name in the Han to avoid Emperor Ming’s given name.
Common among the Zhuang and Buyei peoples as well as Han Chinese.
The surname of Confucius (Kǒngzǐ); his descendants form one of the longest documented lineages in the world.
Traced to a noble lineage of the state of Song.
Derived from the fief of Chang in the state of Wey.
No surname matches that search. Try a character, a pinyin spelling (e.g. wang), or a meaning (e.g. forest).
Ranking based on the Ministry of Public Security of the PRC’s national name report. Where sources differ slightly on the exact order of neighbouring ranks, we follow the official sequence.
Watch Out for the Tricky Readings
A few surnames are not read the way the character usually is — a classic trap for learners. These are the ones worth memorising:
- 任 as a surname is Rén (second tone), not the everyday verb reading rèn.
- 叶 as a surname is Yè — straightforward in Mandarin, though you will hear “Yip” in Cantonese.
- 贾 as a surname is Jiǎ (third tone), not gǔ (“merchant”).
- 沈 as a surname is Shěn, and 覃 is usually Qín (a major surname among the Zhuang of Guangxi), sometimes Tán.
- 肖 (Xiāo) often stands in for the older 萧 after script simplification.
Getting these right is the kind of detail that marks out a careful learner — and exactly the sort of thing a native teacher will catch for you.
Two-Character Surnames: 司马, 欧阳, 诸葛 and More
Almost every Chinese surname is a single character — but a small, distinctive set use two. These are the compound surnames (复姓, fùxìng), and they carry a certain old-world prestige. Many began as ancient official titles (司马, “master of horses”; 司徒, “minister over the masses”), as place names (欧阳, “south of Mount Ou”), or as the sinicised tribal names of non-Han peoples such as the Xianbei (慕容, 宇文, 尉迟).
They are rare today but instantly recognisable — often from history and classic fiction. A handful are famously easy to mispronounce: 万俟 is Mòqí (not Wànsì), 单于 is Chányú, 尉迟 is Yùchí and 长孙 is Zhǎngsūn. Tap any card to hear it said correctly.
Borne by the Song scholar-historian Ouyang Xiu.
Borne by the Han Grand Historian Sima Qian, author of the Records of the Grand Historian.
Borne by the Three Kingdoms strategist Zhuge Liang.
Borne by the Tang poet and palace official Shangguan Wan’er.
Borne by the Cao Wei general Xiahou Dun.
Borne by the late-Han general and scholar Huangfu Song.
Special reading: 尉 = yù. Borne by the Tang general Yuchi Gong, one of the door gods.
Borne by the late-Han warlord Gongsun Zan.
Founders of the Former Yan kingdom; a famous fictional bearer is Murong Fu in Jin Yong’s novels.
Special reading: 长 = zhǎng. Borne by the Tang chancellor Zhangsun Wuji.
Borne by Yuwen Tai, de facto founder of the Northern Zhou dynasty.
Originated as a Zhou dynasty office that became a hereditary surname.
Borne by the Tang poet and critic Sikong Tu.
Famous fictional bearer is the swordsman Linghu Chong in Jin Yong’s The Smiling, Proud Wanderer.
Borne by the witty Han courtier and writer Dongfang Shuo.
Borne by Empress Dugu Qieluo, wife of Emperor Wen of Sui.
Borne by Nangong Kuo, a disciple of Confucius.
Special reading: Mòqí, not Wànsì. Borne by the Song official Moqi Xie.
Special reading: Chányú. From the title borne by Xiongnu rulers such as Modu Chanyu.
Borne by Confucius’s disciple Duanmu Ci, better known as Zigong.
Borne by the Warring States official Ximen Bao, who ended local human-sacrifice rituals.
Special reading: 澹 = tán. Borne by Confucius’s disciple Tantai Mieming.
Borne by the celebrated Qing lyric poet Nalan Xingde.
Coined by Helian Bobo, founder of the Xia (Hu Xia) kingdom in the Sixteen Kingdoms period.
Find Your Surname in Chinese
Once you have browsed the list, the natural next question is: what is my surname in Chinese? The honest answer is that Western surnames have no real equivalent here — these characters are family names with their own long histories, not translations of Smith or Nguyen.
You can transliterate your name by sound, but it tends to read as foreign and carries no meaning. The route most learners actually want is a proper chosen Chinese name: a surname-like character close to your name’s sound, paired with given-name characters that sound natural and carry good meaning.
Get Your Own Chinese Name
You don’t have to guess. Our free Chinese Name Generator creates a real, meaningful Chinese name for you in seconds — with the characters, pinyin and what each one means — and you can turn it into a beautifully presented name certificate to keep or gift.
It is the easy, authentic way to step into the world you have just explored — surname first, meaning and all. Generate your free Chinese name →
FAQs
What is the most common surname in China?
The most common surname is 王 (Wáng, “king”), followed by 李 (Lǐ, “plum”) and 张 (Zhāng). Each of these is shared by more than 100 million people — Wang and Li alone cover over 200 million between them.
How many Chinese surnames are there?
Around 6,000 surnames are in active use in mainland China, but they are very unevenly spread. The top 100 surnames alone account for roughly 85% of the population, and the top five cover about 30%.
Why do so many Chinese people share the same surname?
Chinese surnames come from a small historical pool — ancient states, fiefs, official titles and names bestowed by emperors. Over thousands of years a handful of large clans came to dominate, which is why ordinary people are nicknamed 老百姓 (lǎobǎixìng), “the old hundred surnames”.
Do Chinese surnames have meanings?
Most surname characters are everyday words — 王 means “king”, 李 means “plum”, 林 means “forest” — but as surnames they work as family labels rather than descriptions. The meaning is interesting background, not a statement about the family.
What is my surname in Chinese?
Western surnames have no direct Chinese equivalent. You can transliterate yours by sound (e.g. Smith → 史密斯, Shǐmìsī), but it carries no real meaning. A far better option is a chosen Chinese name whose characters both sound like you and read naturally — which is exactly what our free name generator creates.
Does the surname come first or last in a Chinese name?
First. The family name comes before the given name, the reverse of English — so in 王小明, Wang is the surname and Xiaoming is the given name. See our guide on how Chinese names work for the full picture.
What are two-character Chinese surnames?
A small number of surnames — called compound surnames (复姓, fùxìng) — are written with two characters, such as 司马 (Sīmǎ), 欧阳 (Ōuyáng) and 诸葛 (Zhūgě). Many began as ancient official titles or come from non-Han peoples like the Xianbei. They are rare today but instantly recognisable, and several are famously mispronounced (万俟 is Mòqí, not Wànsì).
Further reading: the list of common Chinese surnames and the classic Hundred Family Surnames primer (Wikipedia). See also our guide to beautiful Chinese names for girls.
Hero image: Photo by Jason Hu on Unsplash.