Sometimes, we wake up to see the occasional question in our chatbox: “Can you translate my name to Chinese?”
It’s a bit of a difficult question to answer. Because even if you are a native English speaker, would you have an easy time translating any foreign name to English? Sometimes, it just wouldn’t make sense.
But this doesn’t mean that it’s impossible!
Instead of being translated, most English names are actually transliterated to Chinese. This means that your Chinese name will take after the pronunciation of your English name, albeit broken down into syllables that exist in the Chinese character system. While this can often result in names with unusual meanings, most Chinese speakers tend to ignore the nuance if they know you’re a foreigner, so you don’t need to worry much about that department.
Although we can’t provide the Chinese equivalent to every English name that comes across our chatbox, we can help out those whose names are common enough. If you have a celebrity or Biblical name, for example, you’re in luck. For the curious and interested, here is a name guide of some of the most common English names that we know of in Chinese:
Male Names
A to E
- Aaron (阿隆, Ā lóng)
- Adam (亚当, Yà dāng)
- Alan (阿兰, Ā lán)
- Albert (阿尔伯特, Ā ěr bó tè)
- Alex (阿列克斯, Ā liè kè sī)
- Ben (本, Běn)
- Benjamin (本杰明, Běn jié míng)
- Billy (比利, Bǐ lì)
- Bob (鲍步, Bào bù)
- Bryan (布莱恩, Bù lái ēn)
- Calvin (卡尔文, Kǎ ěr wén)
- Chad (查德, Chá dé)
- Charles (查而斯, Chá ér sī)
- Chris (克里斯, Kè lǐ sī)
- Colin (科琳, Kē lín)
- Dave (戴夫, Dài fū)
- David (大卫, Dà wèi)
- Dennis (丹尼斯, Dān ní sī)
- Derek (德里克, Dé lǐ kè)
- Dylan (迪伦, Dí lún)
- Edward (爱德华, Ài dé huá)
- Eric (艾里克, Ài lǐ kè)
- Ethan (伊桑, Yī sāng)
- Eugene (尤金, Yóu jīn)
- Evan (伊万, Yī wàn)
F to J
- Felix (费利克斯, Fèi lì kè sī)
- Francis (弗朗西斯, Fú lǎng xī sī)
- Frank (弗兰克, Fú lán kè)
- Franklin (富兰克林, Fù lán kè lín)
- Frederic (弗雷德里克, Fú léi dé lǐ kè)
- Gabriel (加布里埃尔, Jiā bù lǐ āi ěr)
- Gary (加里, Jiā lǐ)
- George (乔治, Qiáo zhì)
- Gilbert (吉尔伯特, Jí ěr bó tè)
- Gregory (格雷戈里, Gé léi gē lǐ)
- Harold (阿豪德, Ā háo dé)
- Harry (哈利, Hā lì)
- Harvey (哈威, Hā wēi)
- Henry (亨利, Hēng lì)
- Howard (霍华德, Huò huá dé)
- Ian (伊恩, Yī ēn)
- Isaac (艾萨克, Ài sà kè)
- Ivan 伊万 (Yī wàn)
- Jack (杰克, Jié kè)
- James (詹姆斯, Zhān mǔ sī)
- Jason (杰森, Jié sēn)
- John (约翰, Yuē hàn)
- Justin (贾斯汀, Jiǎ sī tīng)
K to O
- Keith (凯斯, Kǎi sī)
- Kenneth (肯尼斯, kěn ní sī)
- Kevin (凯文, Kǎi wén)
- Kurt (库尔特, Kù ěr tè)
- Kyle 凯勒 (Kǎi lè)
- Lance (兰斯, Lán sī)
- Lawrence (劳伦斯, Láo lún sī)
- Liam (利亚姆, Lì yà mǔ)
- Lucas (卢卡斯, Lú kǎ sī)
- Luke (卢克, Lú kè)
- Mark (马克, Mǎ kè)
- Martin (马丁, Mǎ dīng)
- Matthew (马修, Mǎ xiū)
- Max (马克斯, Mǎ kè sī)
- Michael (麦克尔, Mài kè ěr)
- Nathan (内森, Nèi sēn)
- Neil (尼尔, Ní ěr)
- Nick (尼克, Ní kè)
- Nicolas (尼古拉斯, Ní gǔ lā sī)
- Noah (诺阿, Nuò ā)
- Oliver (奥利弗, Ào lì fú)
- Oscar (奥斯卡, Ào sī kǎ)
- Owen (欧文, Ōu wén)
P to T
- Patrick (派翠克, Pài cuì kè)
- Paul (保罗, Bǎo luó)
- Pedro (佩德罗, Pèi dé luó)
- Peter (彼得, Bǐ dé)
- Philip (菲力浦, Fēi lì pǔ)
- Quentin (昆汀, Kūn tīng)
- Rafael (拉斐尔, Lā fěi ěr)
- Ralph (拉尔夫, Lā ěr fū)
- Richard (理查, Lǐ chá)
- Robert (罗伯特, Luó bó tè)
- Ryan (里安, Lǐ ān)
- Sam (山姆, Shān mǔ)
- Samuel (萨谬尔, Sà miù ěr)
- Sean (肖恩, Xiāo ēn)
- Steve (史蒂夫, Shǐ dì fū)
- Stephen (斯蒂芬, Sī dì fēn)
- Thomas (托马斯, Tuō mǎ sī)
- Timothy (蒂莫西, Dì mò xī)
- Tom (汤姆, Tāng mǔ)
- Tony (托尼, Tuō ní)
- Trevor (特雷弗, Tè léi fú)
U to Z
- Vincent (文森特, Wén sēn tè)
- Virgil (维吉尔, Wéi jí ěr)
- Wallace (华莱士, Huá lái shì)
- Walter (沃尔特, Wò ěr tè)
- Wesley (韦斯利, Wéi sī lì)
- William (威廉, Wēi lián)
- Wilson (威尔逊, Wēi ěr xùn)
- Zachary (扎卡里, Zhā kǎ lǐ)
Female Names
A to E
- Alice (爱丽丝, Ài lì sī)
- Amy (艾美, Ài měi)
- Angelina (安吉丽娜, Ān jí lì nà)
- Anna (安娜, Ān nà)
- April (艾普尔, Ài pǔ ěr)
- Barbara (芭芭拉, Bā bā lā)
- Betty (贝蒂, Bèi dì)
- Beverly (贝弗利, Bèi fú lì)
- Bianca (碧昂卡, Bì áng kǎ)
- Brenda (布兰达, Bù lán dá)
- Cassandra (卡桑德拉, Kǎ sāng dé lā)
- Cathy (凯西, Kǎi xī)
- Chelsea (切尔西, Qiè ěr xī)
- Christine (克莉斯婷, Kè lì sī tíng)
- Claire (克莱尔, Kè lái ěr)
- Daisy (戴西, Dài xī)
- Danielle (丹妮尔, Dān nī ěr)
- Denise (丹妮丝, Dān nī sī)
- Diana (黛安娜, Dài ān nà)
- Doreen (多琳, Duō lín)
- Elisabeth (伊丽莎白, Yī lì shā bái)
- Ella (艾拉, Ài lā)
- Ellen (艾伦, Ài lún)
- Emily (艾米莉, Ài mǐ lì)
- Erica (艾丽卡, Ài lì kǎ)
F to J
- Fiona (菲奥娜, Fēi ào nà)
- Frances (弗朗西丝, Fú lǎng xī sī)
- Felicia (菲莉西亚, Fēi lì xī yà)
- Georgia (乔治亚, Qiáo zhì yà)
- Gina (吉娜, Jí nà)
- Gloria (格洛丽亚, Gé luò lì yà)
- Grace (格蕾丝, Gé lěi sī)
- Gwendolyn (沽雯都琳, Gū wén dōu lín)
- Hannah (汉娜, Hàn nà)
- Hailey (海莉, Hǎi lì)
- Heather (希瑟, Xī sè)
- Helen 海伦 (Hǎi lún)
- Holly (荷莉, Hé lì)
- Irene (伊琳娜, Yī lín nà)
- Isabella (伊萨贝拉, Yī sà bèi lā)
- Jane (简, jiǎn)
- Joanna (乔安娜, Qiáo ān nà)
- Joyce (乔艾斯, Qiáo ài sī)
- Julie (朱丽, Zhū lì)
- Justine (贾斯汀, Jiǎ sī tīng)
K to O
- Karen (凯琳, Kǎi lín)
- Kate (凯特, Kǎi tè)
- Katherine (凯瑟琳, Kǎi sè lín)
- Kelsey (凯尔塞, Kǎi ěr sāi)
- Kimberley (金伯利, Jīn bó lì)
- Laura (劳拉, Láo lā)
- Lily (莉莉, Lì lì)
- Lisa (丽莎, Lì shā)
- Louise (路易丝, Lù yì sī)
- Lucy (露西, Lù xī)
- Margaret (玛格丽特, Mǎ gé lì tè)
- Maria (玛丽亚, Mǎ lì yà)
- Mary (玛丽, Mǎ lì)
- Michelle (米歇尔, Mǐ xiē ěr)
- Monica (莫妮卡, Mò nī kǎ)
- Nancy (南茜, Nán xī)
- Natalie (娜塔莉, Nà tǎ lì)
- Natasha (娜塔莎, Nà tǎ shā)
- Nicole (尼科尔, Ní kē ěr)
- Nina (妮娜, Nī nà)
- Olivia (奥利维亚, Ào lì wéi yà)
- Ophelia (欧菲丽娅, Ōu fēi lì yà)
P to T
- Pamela (帕米拉, Pà mǐ lā)
- Patricia (帕特里夏, Pà tè lǐ xià)
- Paula (宝拉, Bǎo lā)
- Peggy (佩吉, Pèi jí)
- Penelope (佩内洛普, Pèi nèi luò pǔ)
- Rachel (蕾切尔, Lěi qiē ěr)
- Rebecca (丽贝卡, Lí bèi kǎ)
- Regina (蕾吉娜, Lěi jí nà)
- Rita (莉塔, Lì tǎ)
- Rose (罗斯, Luó sī)
- Sarah (莎拉, Shā lā)
- Sheila (晒垃, Shài lā)
- Sofia (索菲娅, Suǒ fēi yà)
- Stephanie (斯蒂芬妮, Sī dì fēn nī)
- Suzie (苏西, Sū xī)
- Tara (泰拉, Tài lā)
- Tiffany (蒂凡妮, Dì fán nī)
- Tina (蒂娜, Dì nà)
- Tricia (特瑞萨, Tè ruì sà)
- Trina (崔娜, Cuī nà)
U to Z
- Veronica (维罗尼卡, Wéi luó ní kǎ)
- Vicky (维吉, Wéi jí)
- Victoria (维多利亚, Wéi duō lì yà)
- Virginia (维吉尼亚, Wéi jí ní yà)
- Vivianne (维维安, Wéi wéi ān)
- Wanda (旺达, Wàng dá)
- Wendy (温蒂, Wēn dì)
- Yasmine (雅斯敏, Yǎ sī mǐn)
- Zoe (佐伊, Zuǒ yī)
Want to make your own Chinese name? Check out 2020’s most popular names here.
