About Mingzi

Mingzi (名字, míngzi) means "name" in Chinese. We built this site for people who love Chinese names but didn't grow up with them: Mandarin learners, people moving to China for work or study, families with Chinese heritage, writers and anyone curious about the culture.

Why we started

Ask a native speaker about the Chinese names many foreigners use, and you'll often see a polite smile. Some names are transliterations that will always sound foreign. Others are strings of grand characters that no parent would choose, or names that sound like an awkward word when said aloud. Tattoos and business cards make these mistakes permanent.

Good information about Chinese names in English is surprisingly hard to find. Name lists online often give a single dictionary meaning per character, ignore how a name sounds and say nothing about era or gender impression. We wanted a place that explains names the way a native speaker hears them.

What you'll find here

• A free directory of real Chinese names, with the meaning of each character, notes on popularity and era, and common surnames with their spellings around the world.
• A free name converter that writes your English name in Chinese characters, and explains why that isn't the same as a Chinese name.
• A free name generator that suggests random real Chinese names, each with a family name, meaning and audio.
• Guides on how Chinese names work, how to choose one, how to pronounce and introduce your name, and which names to avoid.
• Personalized Chinese names: three names chosen for you by our naming agent, or by hand by the Mingzi Naming Expert.

Everything except personalized names is free and needs no account.

Editorial standards

Our guides and name pages are written by the Mingzi Editorial Team and reviewed by native Mandarin speakers before they are published. We hold every page to the same standards:

• Real names only. Every name in our directory is one that Chinese people actually use. We don't invent names or combine characters at random.
• Meaning as people understand it today. We describe what a character or name suggests to native speakers now, not only its dictionary definition, and we say so when a meaning is debated.
• Established conventions. Transliterations follow the standard forms used in Chinese publications, and pinyin follows the official spelling rules.
• Regional differences noted. When a pronunciation, spelling or custom differs between mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan or overseas communities, we point it out.
• Dated updates. Each guide shows when it was first published and when it last changed in substance.
• Corrections welcome. If you spot an error, email support@mingzi.io. We check every report and update the page when it's right.

What we care about

A Chinese name should sound like something a real person could be called, fit the person using it and work where it will be used. We would rather tell you a name is awkward than let you use one that is. Read our naming methodology for the principles we follow.

We also care about your privacy. The converter and generator run in your browser, so the names you type aren't sent to us. See our privacy policy for the details.

How the site is funded

Mingzi is independent. Free pages are supported by advertising and by the personalized naming service. Advertising never affects what we write: ads are served by Google and are clearly separate from our content, and no name, guide or recommendation on this site is paid for.

Get in touch

Questions, corrections or ideas are welcome. Email support@mingzi.io or see our contact page.