In Chinese, the family name comes first. Lin Wei is Mr or Ms Lin, not Mr or Ms Wei. The surname is a single character far more often than not, and a small set of names is shared by hundreds of millions of people. Here is how Chinese last names work, what the common ones mean, and how to pick one if you are choosing a full Chinese name.
Family name first, given name second
A full name is the surname (one character) followed by a one or two character given name. So in 林安泽, 林 (Lin) is the family name and 安泽 is the given name. This order is the reverse of the Western one, and it is part of what makes a transliterated Western name read as foreign.
The most common surnames
A handful of surnames cover a huge share of the population. The most common include:
- 王 (Wáng) , king. One of the most common of all.
- 李 (Lǐ) , plum tree.
- 张 (Zhāng) , to draw a bow, to stretch.
- 刘 (Liú) , an old surname, long borne by emperors.
- 陈 (Chén) , to arrange or display; strong in southern China and overseas communities.
A note on meaning
Surnames are inherited, not chosen for meaning, so their literal sense matters far less than with given names. Many trace back to ancient states, places, or titles. You do not pick a surname for what it means; you pick it for fit.
Choosing a surname for your Chinese name
If you are building your own Chinese name, the tasteful approach is to match the first sound of your name (or your real surname) to a real Chinese family name, Smith toward Shi, Brown toward Bo, then build a meaningful given name after it. The surname should be a real one people actually carry, not a sound-alike character that no one is named.
How the given name is then chosen is the larger craft. See a real Chinese name vs a transliteration.
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