Chinese Name Order: Which Is the Last Name?

In Chinese, the family name comes first and the given name follows. 王安然 is Wang Anran: family name Wang (王), given name Anran (安然).

The order reflects the idea that the family comes before the individual. It is the same in Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Hungarian. The confusion starts when Chinese names are written in English, where both orders are in use. This guide explains how to tell which part is which and what to do on forms, in emails and when you meet someone.

How to tell which part is the family name

• In Chinese characters, the first character is almost always the family name. The exceptions are the few two-character family names such as 欧阳 or 司马.
• In pinyin, the family name is written as a separate word and the two syllables of the given name are joined: Wang Anran, not Wang An Ran.
• Sometimes the family name is written in capitals on documents and in academic papers to avoid confusion: WANG Anran.
• The shortest part is often the family name. Most family names are one syllable, and most given names today are two. In "Anran Wang" or "Wang Anran", Wang is the single syllable.

That last rule fails for one-character given names (Li Na could be either way round) and for two-character family names, so treat it as a hint, not proof.

Two-character family names

A small number of family names have two characters. They are rare, but because they look like given names, they cause the most mistakes:

• 欧阳 Ōuyáng (Ouyang)
• 司马 Sīmǎ (Sima)
• 诸葛 Zhūgě (Zhuge)
• 上官 Shàngguān (Shangguan)
• 司徒 Sītú (Situ, often spelled Szeto in Hong Kong and abroad)
• 东方 Dōngfāng (Dongfang)

With one of these, a name can have four characters, as in 欧阳安然 (Ōuyáng Ānrán): family name Ouyang, given name Anran. On forms, the whole two-character family name goes in the last-name field.

Order in English is not consistent

Many Chinese people put their family name last when writing in English, to fit Western conventions: Anran Wang. Others keep the Chinese order. Both are common, so you often can't tell from order alone.

Some patterns help:

• Mainland Chinese passports and documents give the surname first, in capitals, without tone marks: WANG ANRAN or WANG, ANRAN, with the fields labeled.
• Academic papers and international sports increasingly keep the Chinese order with the family name in capitals.
• Emails, CVs and LinkedIn profiles in English usually use Western order: Anran Wang.
• People with an English first name almost always use Western order and put the English name first: Annie Wang, or Annie Anran Wang.

When it matters (forms, bookings, emails), it's polite simply to ask: "Which is your family name?"

Practice: which part is the family name?

• Li Na (李娜): family name Li, given name Na. With a one-character given name, the order can't be guessed from length, so check the characters or ask.
• Annie Wang: an English first name followed by the family name, in Western order. Her Chinese name might be 王安然.
• WANG Anran: the capitals mark Wang as the family name, whatever the order.
• Ouyang Lin (欧阳林): a two-character family name, Ouyang, and a one-character given name, Lin.
• Chan Tai-man: a Hong Kong spelling in Chinese order. Chan (陈) is the family name and Tai-man is the given name.

What to write on forms

For a person called 王安然:

• First name / given name: Anran
• Middle name: leave empty
• Last name / surname / family name: Wang

Two mistakes are common. The first is splitting the given name into a first and middle name (An R. Wang). Anran is one name. The second is putting the family name in the first-name field because it comes first in Chinese. Airline bookings and visas must match the passport exactly, so copy the surname and given-name fields from the passport rather than guessing.

Romanization can differ

The same family name may be spelled differently depending on where the person or their family comes from:

• 陈: Chen in mainland pinyin, Chan in Hong Kong, Tan in Southeast Asia
• 林: Lin in mainland pinyin, Lam in Hong Kong, Lim in Southeast Asia
• 黄: Huang in mainland pinyin, Wong in Hong Kong, Ng or Wee in Southeast Asia
• 张: Zhang in mainland pinyin, Cheung in Hong Kong, Teo in Southeast Asia

Hong Kong spellings follow Cantonese; Southeast Asian ones often follow Hokkien or Teochew.

So Chan, Tan and Chen may all be the same family name. See more spellings on our Chinese last names page.

Given names vary too. In Hong Kong, the two syllables are often written separately or with a hyphen: Chan Tai Man or Chan Tai-man. Older Taiwanese spellings use a hyphen as well: Lin Chih-ming, where mainland pinyin would write Lin Zhiming. A Hong Kong name with an English name usually puts the English name first: Peter Chan Tai-man.

How to address someone

• Formal: family name + title. Wang Anran is 王女士 (Ms. Wang) or 王老师 (Teacher Wang).
• At work: family name + job title is common: 王经理 (Manager Wang), 王总 (a short form for a company head).
• Friendly: the full name or given name. Friends may say Anran.
• Close friends and family often use nicknames, such as 然然 (Ránrán).

Using only the family name on its own (just "Wang") sounds abrupt, unlike in some Western settings. In English, "Ms. Wang" or "Dr. Wang" is right; "Ms. Anran" is not, because titles go with the family name.

In emails and on business cards

• Email greeting: "Dear Ms. Wang" or, once you're on first-name terms, "Hi Anran".
• Signature: many people write "Anran Wang" or "WANG Anran" so the order is unambiguous.
• Business cards: the Chinese side reads 王安然; the English side usually uses Western order, sometimes with an English name: Annie Wang.

If someone signs an email with a name you can't parse, reply using the full name as they wrote it. It's never wrong.

Choosing your own Chinese name

If you're choosing a Chinese name, follow the Chinese order: family name first. A Chinese name in Western order (Anran Lin instead of 林安然) is fine in English text, but always write it family name first in characters. Read how to choose a Chinese name to get started, and learn to say it with our guide on how to say "my name is" in Chinese.

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