How do you tell the difference between a first and last name in Chinese?

The order that the three name elements appears is important. Chinese surnames usually come first, followed by the given name. In our earlier example, Chan Tai Man, Chan is the surname while Tai Man is the given name.

Why do some Chinese people have the same first and last name?

Many Chinese people with the same family names are actually relatives. It’s just have been too many years after their ancestors have separated each others to form new families that they don’t recognize their relationship anymore. Some family names are actually the name of feuds and thus the nobles.

How do you fill out a Chinese first and last name?

If it says first name and family name, that is easy as your surname is your family name. But if you have a Chinese name which has its surname as a first name, it has to be written backwards eg Lee Chan Yew is Chan Yew Lee.

How many last names does Zhang have?

Today, it is one of the most common surnames in the world at over 100 million people worldwide. 張 was listed by the People’s Republic of China’s National Citizen ID Information System as the third-most-common surname in mainland China in April 2007, with 87.50 million bearers.

How do Chinese people get their last names?

Chinese family names are patrilineal, passed from father to children (in adoption, the adoptee usually also takes the same surname). Women do not normally change their surnames upon marriage, except sometimes in places with more western influences such as Hong Kong.

What is a Chinese name called?

Today, Chinese names consist of a surname and a given name, in that order. The given name, or personal name, is known as the ming, while the surname, or family name, is called the xing . A big focus is given to the number of characters when choosing a Chinese name.

What is the origin of the Chinese surname system?

Chinese mythology, however, reaches back further to the legendary figure Fuxi (with the surname Feng), who was said to have established the system of Chinese surnames to distinguish different families and prevent marriage of people with the same family names.

How many first names can a commoner have in China?

For example, a commoner may only have one name, the given name, while a member of the nobility could have up to four names and two titles. Most Popular Chinese First Names on FamilyEducation: Wang, Jing, Quan, Chow