王 (Wáng), 李 (Lǐ) and 张 (Zhāng) are the three most common surnames in China, and together with 刘 (Liú) and 陈 (Chén) they are shared by about 30.8% of the population, roughly 430 million people. This worksheet practices the 20 most common Chinese surnames, from 王 (Wáng) and 李 (Lǐ) to 高 (Gāo), with pinyin above each character so you can trace them and then write them from memory; the rest of the top 100 print as four more sheets. Below it, a table lists all 100 surnames in the official 2020 ranking from China's Ministry of Public Security, with traditional forms, pinyin and a rough share for the biggest ones. Watch for the traps: 曾 (céng) is read Zēng as a surname, 任 (rèn) is Rén, and 于 (Yú) and 余 (Yú) are two different families with the same sound. Remember that Chinese names put the surname first: in 王小明 (Wáng Xiǎomíng), the family name is 王. Print it free or save the PDF, then find your own surname or a friend's in the list.
The top 100 Chinese surnames
From the 2020 national name report of China's Ministry of Public Security (二〇二〇年全国姓名报告 èr líng èr líng nián quán guó xìng míng bào gào), which counts household registration records at the end of 2020 (not the national census). The top five cover 30.8% of people and the top 100 about 85–86%. Shares are rough figures for the 23 surnames above ten million people.
The 100 most common Chinese surnames, 2020| Rank | Surname | Traditional | Pinyin | Share | Note |
|---|
| 1 | 王 | 王 | Wáng | 7.3% | |
| 2 | 李 | 李 | Lǐ | 7.2% | |
| 3 | 张 | 張 | Zhāng | 6.8% | |
| 4 | 刘 | 劉 | Liú | 5.2% | |
| 5 | 陈 | 陳 | Chén | 4.5% | |
| 6 | 杨 | 楊 | Yáng | 3.3% | |
| 7 | 黄 | 黃 | Huáng | 2.4% | |
| 8 | 赵 | 趙 | Zhào | 2% | |
| 9 | 吴 | 吳 | Wú | 2% | |
| 10 | 周 | 周 | Zhōu | 1.9% | |
| 11 | 徐 | 徐 | Xú | 1.4% | |
| 12 | 孙 | 孫 | Sūn | 1.4% | |
| 13 | 马 | 馬 | Mǎ | 1.4% | |
| 14 | 朱 | 朱 | Zhū | 1.3% | |
| 15 | 胡 | 胡 | Hú | 1.2% | |
| 16 | 郭 | 郭 | Guō | 1.1% | |
| 17 | 何 | 何 | Hé | 1.1% | |
| 18 | 林 | 林 | Lín | 1% | |
| 19 | 罗 | 羅 | Luó | 1% | |
| 20 | 高 | 高 | Gāo | 1% | |
| 21 | 郑 | 鄭 | Zhèng | 0.9% | |
| 22 | 梁 | 梁 | Liáng | 0.8% | |
| 23 | 谢 | 謝 | Xiè | 0.8% | |
| 24 | 宋 | 宋 | Sòng | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 25 | 唐 | 唐 | Táng | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 26 | 许 | 許 | Xǔ | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 27 | 韩 | 韓 | Hán | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 28 | 邓 | 鄧 | Dèng | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 29 | 冯 | 馮 | Féng | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 30 | 曹 | 曹 | Cáo | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 31 | 彭 | 彭 | Péng | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 32 | 曾 | 曾 | Zēng | 0.2–0.7% | As a surname 曾 is read zēng, not céng ('once'). |
| 33 | 肖 | 蕭 | Xiāo | 0.2–0.7% | Most people registered as 肖 descend from the surname 萧, simplified to 肖 in the 1970s; in traditional script it is written 蕭. |
| 34 | 田 | 田 | Tián | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 35 | 董 | 董 | Dǒng | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 36 | 潘 | 潘 | Pān | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 37 | 袁 | 袁 | Yuán | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 38 | 蔡 | 蔡 | Cài | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 39 | 蒋 | 蔣 | Jiǎng | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 40 | 余 | 余 | Yú | 0.2–0.7% | A different surname from 于 (rank 41), though both are read yú; it stays 余 in traditional script. |
| 41 | 于 | 于 | Yú | 0.2–0.7% | A different surname from 余 (rank 40); it stays 于 in traditional script, not 於. |
| 42 | 杜 | 杜 | Dù | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 43 | 叶 | 葉 | Yè | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 44 | 程 | 程 | Chéng | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 45 | 魏 | 魏 | Wèi | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 46 | 苏 | 蘇 | Sū | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 47 | 吕 | 呂 | Lǚ | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 48 | 丁 | 丁 | Dīng | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 49 | 任 | 任 | Rén | 0.2–0.7% | As a surname 任 is read rén (second tone). |
| 50 | 卢 | 盧 | Lú | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 51 | 姚 | 姚 | Yáo | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 52 | 沈 | 沈 | Shěn | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 53 | 钟 | 鍾 | Zhōng | 0.2–0.7% | The surname is 鍾 in traditional script (鐘 means 'bell'). |
| 54 | 姜 | 姜 | Jiāng | 0.2–0.7% | The surname stays 姜; 薑 (ginger) is a different word. |
| 55 | 崔 | 崔 | Cuī | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 56 | 谭 | 譚 | Tán | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 57 | 陆 | 陸 | Lù | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 58 | 范 | 范 | Fàn | 0.2–0.7% | The surname stays 范 in traditional script; 範 means 'model'. |
| 59 | 汪 | 汪 | Wāng | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 60 | 廖 | 廖 | Liào | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 61 | 石 | 石 | Shí | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 62 | 金 | 金 | Jīn | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 63 | 韦 | 韋 | Wéi | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 64 | 贾 | 賈 | Jiǎ | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 65 | 夏 | 夏 | Xià | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 66 | 付 | 付 | Fù | 0.2–0.7% | Often a simplified writing of the surname 傅 (Fù); both are counted as written. |
| 67 | 方 | 方 | Fāng | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 68 | 邹 | 鄒 | Zōu | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 69 | 熊 | 熊 | Xióng | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 70 | 白 | 白 | Bái | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 71 | 孟 | 孟 | Mèng | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 72 | 秦 | 秦 | Qín | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 73 | 邱 | 邱 | Qiū | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 74 | 侯 | 侯 | Hóu | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 75 | 江 | 江 | Jiāng | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 76 | 尹 | 尹 | Yǐn | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 77 | 薛 | 薛 | Xuē | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 78 | 闫 | 閆 | Yán | 0.2–0.7% | 闫 and 阎 (Yán) are separate registered surnames today. |
| 79 | 段 | 段 | Duàn | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 80 | 雷 | 雷 | Léi | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 81 | 龙 | 龍 | Lóng | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 82 | 黎 | 黎 | Lí | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 83 | 史 | 史 | Shǐ | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 84 | 陶 | 陶 | Táo | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 85 | 贺 | 賀 | Hè | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 86 | 毛 | 毛 | Máo | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 87 | 郝 | 郝 | Hǎo | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 88 | 顾 | 顧 | Gù | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 89 | 龚 | 龔 | Gōng | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 90 | 邵 | 邵 | Shào | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 91 | 万 | 萬 | Wàn | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 92 | 覃 | 覃 | Qín | 0.2–0.7% | Most families read 覃 as Qín (common in Guangxi); some read it Tán. |
| 93 | 武 | 武 | Wǔ | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 94 | 钱 | 錢 | Qián | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 95 | 戴 | 戴 | Dài | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 96 | 严 | 嚴 | Yán | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 97 | 莫 | 莫 | Mò | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 98 | 孔 | 孔 | Kǒng | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 99 | 向 | 向 | Xiàng | 0.2–0.7% | |
| 100 | 常 | 常 | Cháng | 0.2–0.7% | |
Surname first: talking about names
A Chinese name puts the family name first: in 王小明 (Wáng Xiǎomíng), the surname is 王 (Wáng).
Words for asking and giving names| Chinese | Traditional | Pinyin | English |
|---|
| 姓 | 姓 | xìng | surname; to be surnamed |
| 名字 | 名字 | míng zi | name; given name |
| 姓名 | 姓名 | xìng míng | full name (on forms) |
| 姓氏 | 姓氏 | xìng shì | surname (formal) |
| 复姓 | 複姓 | fù xìng | two-character surname |
| 百家姓 | 百家姓 | bǎi jiā xìng | the Hundred Family Surnames; the common surnames |
| 您贵姓 | 您貴姓 | nín guì xìng | What is your (honorable) surname? |
| 我姓王 | 我姓王 | wǒ xìng wáng | My surname is Wang. |
| 我叫 | 我叫 | wǒ jiào | My name is ... |
Two-character surnames (复姓 fù xìng)
A few families have two-character surnames. Some use a reading the characters rarely have elsewhere.
Well-known compound Chinese surnames| Surname | Traditional | Pinyin | Note |
|---|
| 欧阳 | 歐陽 | Ōu Yáng | |
| 司马 | 司馬 | Sī Mǎ | |
| 诸葛 | 諸葛 | Zhū Gě | |
| 上官 | 上官 | Shàng Guān | |
| 东方 | 東方 | Dōng Fāng | |
| 司徒 | 司徒 | Sī Tú | |
| 慕容 | 慕容 | Mù Róng | |
| 令狐 | 令狐 | Líng Hú | 令 is read líng in this surname. |
| 尉迟 | 尉遲 | Yù Chí | 尉 is read yù in this surname. |
| 长孙 | 長孫 | Zhǎng Sūn | 长 is read zhǎng in this surname. |
More about Chinese names
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common Chinese surname?
王 (Wáng) is the most common, just ahead of 李 (Lǐ) and 张 (Zhāng); each is shared by roughly 100 million people in China. With 刘 (Liú) and 陈 (Chén), the top five cover about 30.8% of the population, according to the 2020 national name report.
How many Chinese surnames are there?
About 6,000 surnames are in use in China today; the 2018 national name report counted 6,150. Most people share a few of them: the 100 most common, such as 王 (Wáng) and 李 (Lǐ), cover about 85% of the population, and the top five alone about 30%.
Does the surname come first in Chinese names?
Yes. A Chinese name puts the family name first and the given name after it: in 王小明 (Wáng Xiǎomíng), 王 (Wáng) is the surname. Most surnames have one character; a few, like 欧阳 (Ōuyáng) and 司马 (Sīmǎ), have two.
How do you ask "What is your surname?" in Chinese?
Politely, ask 您贵姓？ (nín guì xìng?), literally 'your honorable surname?'. Answer with 我姓王 (wǒ xìng Wáng), 'my surname is Wang', and give your full name with 我叫王小明 (wǒ jiào Wáng Xiǎomíng).
Why do Wang and Wong look different in English?
They are the same surname, 王 (Wáng), spelled two ways: Wang is Mandarin pinyin, and Wong is a Cantonese spelling used in Hong Kong and many overseas families. Likewise 陈 (Chén) is often Chan or Tan, and 林 (Lín) is Lam or Lim.
Is this worksheet free to print?
Yes. The Chinese surnames worksheet is free to print or save as a PDF, with no account or email needed, and you can print as many copies as you like for a class. Choose A4 or US Letter before you press Print or Save PDF.