Chinese Girl Names: 50 Beautiful Names with Meanings and Pinyin

Chinese girl names are built, not browsed: parents combine characters for grace, brightness, flowers, jade, poetry, and rain until the sound and meaning both land. Below are 50 popular Chinese girl names with pinyin and meanings, from the two-character names topping recent birth lists to the one-character classics and the literary picks, plus how the names are composed so you can read (or build) one yourself.

How girl names are chosen

A full name is surname first, given name second (the basics are in our Chinese names guide). For girls, the traditional palette leans toward:

• Grace and serenity: 婷 (tíng, graceful), 静 (jìng, serene), 雅 (yǎ, elegant)
• Nature: 花 (huā, flower), 兰 (lán, orchid), 梅 (méi, plum blossom), 雪 (xuě, snow), 雨 (yǔ, rain)
• Preciousness: 玉 (yù, jade), 珍 (zhēn, treasure), 琳 (lín, fine jade)
• Joy and intellect: 欣 (xīn, joyful), 怡 (yí, content), 慧 (huì, wise), 诗 (shī, poetry)

Modern parents mix these freely with once-masculine characters, so don't read the palette as a rulebook. Sound rules everything: the name must flow with the surname and dodge awkward homophones.

25 popular modern girl names (two characters)

• 梓涵 (Zǐhán): catalpa tree + embracing; a fixture at the top of recent name rankings
• 欣怡 (Xīnyí): joyful and content
• 诗涵 (Shīhán): poetry held within
• 雨桐 (Yǔtóng): rain on the parasol tree
• 可馨 (Kěxīn): lovable fragrance
• 一诺 (Yīnuò): one promise (popular for boys too)
• 芷晴 (Zhǐqíng): angelica herb + clear sky
• 若曦 (Ruòxī): like morning light
• 雨欣 (Yǔxīn): rain + joy
• 梦瑶 (Mèngyáo): dream of fine jade
• 思彤 (Sītóng): thoughtful + vermilion red
• 心怡 (Xīnyí): a heart at ease
• 佳琪 (Jiāqí): fine jade, excellent
• 雅婷 (Yǎtíng): elegant and graceful
• 晓萱 (Xiǎoxuān): dawn + daylily
• 子涵 (Zǐhán): composed and embracing
• 依诺 (Yīnuò): gentle promise
• 安琪 (Ānqí): peaceful jade; doubles as "Angie"
• 婉清 (Wǎnqīng): gentle and clear, from the Book of Songs
• 语嫣 (Yǔyān): captivating speech; famous from a Jin Yong heroine
• 清雅 (Qīngyǎ): pure elegance
• 慧敏 (Huìmǐn): wise and quick
• 美琳 (Měilín): beautiful jade
• 晨曦 (Chénxī): first light of dawn
• 乐瑶 (Lèyáo): joyful jade

15 classic one-character girl names

• 美 (Měi): beautiful
• 丽 (Lì): lovely
• 婷 (Tíng): graceful
• 雅 (Yǎ): elegant
• 静 (Jìng): serene
• 慧 (Huì): wise
• 芳 (Fāng): fragrant
• 燕 (Yàn): swallow (the bird)
• 玉 (Yù): jade
• 兰 (Lán): orchid
• 梅 (Méi): plum blossom
• 雪 (Xuě): snow
• 红 (Hóng): red
• 娜 (Nà): graceful, willowy
• 颖 (Yǐng): clever, standing out

10 names with a literary edge

• 婉如 (Wǎnrú): "gentle as," from the Book of Songs
• 静姝 (Jìngshū): the quiet beauty of the Book of Songs' most famous love poem
• 采薇 (Cǎiwēi): "gathering ferns," a Book of Songs classic
• 清扬 (Qīngyáng): bright, expressive eyes, also from the Songs
• 疏影 (Shūyǐng): sparse plum shadows, from a famous Song-dynasty line
• 暗香 (Ànxiāng): hidden fragrance, the companion line to 疏影
• 知夏 (Zhīxià): knowing summer
• 南乔 (Nánqiáo): tall tree of the south, from the Songs
• 望舒 (Wàngshū): the moon's charioteer in ancient myth (used for all genders)
• 如是 (Rúshì): "thus it is," an homage to the Ming poet Liu Rushi

Reading a name you meet

When you meet a 李梦瑶 or a 陈晓萱, the surname is the first character and the rest is the given name. Address her by full name or title + surname (李老师), never by given name alone until you're friends; the whole politeness map is in how Chinese names work. And because tones make the name, listen before you say it: the pinyin of 语嫣 won't save you if every syllable comes out flat. Our guide to pronouncing Chinese names covers the traps.

Frequently asked questions

What's the most popular Chinese girl name?

Recent mainland lists have been led by names like 梓涵, 一诺, and 欣怡. Fashion moves in waves: jade characters (玉, 琳, 瑶) dominated one generation, 涵 and 萱 the next.

Do Chinese girl names have to be feminine?

No. The palette above is tradition, not law, and plenty of parents now choose neutral or bold names for daughters. Some characters are strongly gendered by convention (婷 is almost always female), but nothing enforces it.

How do I pick a Chinese girl name for myself?

The same way parents do: choose a surname close to your own, pick a given name whose meaning and sound you love, then have a native speaker check for awkward homophones. Two or three characters total, and say it out loud with the surname before committing.

Every linked character above opens a full dictionary page: native audio, stroke-order animation, and the words it builds. Create a free Chenjin account to save your favorites; a name you can write and pronounce is a name that's yours.

Keep learning

• Chinese Names: How They Work, with 60 Popular Names and Meanings
• Chinese Boy Names: 50 Popular Names with Meanings and Pinyin
• Chinese Surnames: The 30 Most Common Last Names and What They Mean
• How Do Chinese Names Work? Order, Meanings, and Etiquette
• How to Pronounce Chinese Names: A Practical Guide