赵钱孙李，周吴郑王 (Zhào Qián Sūn Lǐ, Zhōu Wú Zhèng Wáng): every Chinese child knows how the 百家姓 (bǎi jiā xìng), the Hundred Family Surnames, begins. Written in the Northern Song dynasty about a thousand years ago, it lists 504 surnames in rhyming lines of four, which made it a favorite first reading text alongside the Three Character Classic. It opens with 赵 (Zhào) because that was the family name of the Song emperors, not because it was the most common surname. This worksheet copies the first eight lines, 32 surnames, in rows of grids with pinyin. Below, the first 32 lines appear in simplified and traditional characters with pinyin, plus notes on surnames that are read differently from the everyday character, such as 华 (Huà) and 乐 (Yuè). Compare it with today's top-100 ranking, where 王 (Wáng), 李 (Lǐ) and 张 (Zhāng) lead. Print it free or save the PDF, and chant each line as you copy it.
The opening 32 lines: 128 surnames
The full text lists 504 surnames, with the two-character ones at the end. The last column shows which surnames of each line are in today's top 100, and their rank.
Hundred Family Surnames, 百家姓 (bǎi jiā xìng), lines 1 to 32| # | Line | Traditional | Pinyin | In today's top 100 |
|---|
| 1 | 赵钱孙李 | 趙錢孫李 | Zhào Qián Sūn Lǐ | 赵 #8, 钱 #94, 孙 #12, 李 #2 |
| 2 | 周吴郑王 | 周吳鄭王 | Zhōu Wú Zhèng Wáng | 周 #10, 吴 #9, 郑 #21, 王 #1 |
| 3 | 冯陈褚卫 | 馮陳褚衛 | Féng Chén Chǔ Wèi | 冯 #29, 陈 #5 |
| 4 | 蒋沈韩杨 | 蔣沈韓楊 | Jiǎng Shěn Hán Yáng | 蒋 #39, 沈 #52, 韩 #27, 杨 #6 |
| 5 | 朱秦尤许 | 朱秦尤許 | Zhū Qín Yóu Xǔ | 朱 #14, 秦 #72, 许 #26 |
| 6 | 何吕施张 | 何呂施張 | Hé Lǚ Shī Zhāng | 何 #17, 吕 #47, 张 #3 |
| 7 | 孔曹严华 | 孔曹嚴華 | Kǒng Cáo Yán Huà | 孔 #98, 曹 #30, 严 #96 |
| 8 | 金魏陶姜 | 金魏陶姜 | Jīn Wèi Táo Jiāng | 金 #62, 魏 #45, 陶 #84, 姜 #54 |
| 9 | 戚谢邹喻 | 戚謝鄒喻 | Qī Xiè Zōu Yù | 谢 #23, 邹 #68 |
| 10 | 柏水窦章 | 柏水竇章 | Bǎi Shuǐ Dòu Zhāng | None |
| 11 | 云苏潘葛 | 雲蘇潘葛 | Yún Sū Pān Gě | 苏 #46, 潘 #36 |
| 12 | 奚范彭郎 | 奚范彭郎 | Xī Fàn Péng Láng | 范 #58, 彭 #31 |
| 13 | 鲁韦昌马 | 魯韋昌馬 | Lǔ Wéi Chāng Mǎ | 韦 #63, 马 #13 |
| 14 | 苗凤花方 | 苗鳳花方 | Miáo Fèng Huā Fāng | 方 #67 |
| 15 | 俞任袁柳 | 俞任袁柳 | Yú Rén Yuán Liǔ | 任 #49, 袁 #37 |
| 16 | 酆鲍史唐 | 酆鮑史唐 | Fēng Bào Shǐ Táng | 史 #83, 唐 #25 |
| 17 | 费廉岑薛 | 費廉岑薛 | Fèi Lián Cén Xuē | 薛 #77 |
| 18 | 雷贺倪汤 | 雷賀倪湯 | Léi Hè Ní Tāng | 雷 #80, 贺 #85 |
| 19 | 滕殷罗毕 | 滕殷羅畢 | Téng Yīn Luó Bì | 罗 #19 |
| 20 | 郝邬安常 | 郝鄔安常 | Hǎo Wū Ān Cháng | 郝 #87, 常 #100 |
| 21 | 乐于时傅 | 樂于時傅 | Yuè Yú Shí Fù | 于 #41 |
| 22 | 皮卞齐康 | 皮卞齊康 | Pí Biàn Qí Kāng | None |
| 23 | 伍余元卜 | 伍余元卜 | Wǔ Yú Yuán Bǔ | 余 #40 |
| 24 | 顾孟平黄 | 顧孟平黃 | Gù Mèng Píng Huáng | 顾 #88, 孟 #71, 黄 #7 |
| 25 | 和穆萧尹 | 和穆蕭尹 | Hé Mù Xiāo Yǐn | 尹 #76 |
| 26 | 姚邵湛汪 | 姚邵湛汪 | Yáo Shào Zhàn Wāng | 姚 #51, 邵 #90, 汪 #59 |
| 27 | 祁毛禹狄 | 祁毛禹狄 | Qí Máo Yǔ Dí | 毛 #86 |
| 28 | 米贝明臧 | 米貝明臧 | Mǐ Bèi Míng Zāng | None |
| 29 | 计伏成戴 | 計伏成戴 | Jì Fú Chéng Dài | 戴 #95 |
| 30 | 谈宋茅庞 | 談宋茅龐 | Tán Sòng Máo Páng | 宋 #24 |
| 31 | 熊纪舒屈 | 熊紀舒屈 | Xióng Jǐ Shū Qū | 熊 #69 |
| 32 | 项祝董梁 | 項祝董梁 | Xiàng Zhù Dǒng Liáng | 董 #35, 梁 #22 |
Surnames read differently
As surnames, these characters take a reading you rarely meet elsewhere.
Reading notes for the 百家姓 (bǎi jiā xìng)| Surname | Read | Note |
|---|
| 华 | Huà | The surname is Huà (fourth tone); huá means 'splendid' or 'China'. |
| 任 | Rén | The surname is Rén; rèn means 'to appoint'. |
| 乐 | Yuè | Most families read the surname Yuè; some branches say Lè. |
| 柏 | Bǎi | The surname is usually Bǎi; some families say Bó. |
| 葛 | Gě | The surname is Gě; gé is the plant (kudzu). |
| 纪 | Jǐ | The surname is Jǐ (third tone); jì means 'record' or 'era'. |
| 褚 | Chǔ | The surname is Chǔ; zhǔ is a rare word for silk padding. |
Why does the 百家姓 (bǎi jiā xìng) start with 赵 (Zhào)?
Because the list was written in the Northern Song dynasty, whose emperors were named 赵 (Zhào). The next names in the first line, 钱 (Qián), 孙 (Sūn) and 李 (Lǐ), are usually explained by the powerful families of the time. It is a rhyming list for memorizing, not a ranking: today the most common surnames are 王 (Wáng), 李 and 张 (Zhāng).
More about Chinese names and classics
- Chinese Surnames: The five most common Chinese surnames, 王 (Wáng), 李 (Lǐ), 张 (Zhāng), 刘 (Liú) and 陈 (Chén), are shared by about 30.8% of people in China. 王 李 张 刘
- Three Character Classic (三字经 sān zì jīng): Copy the 三字经 (sān zì jīng) three characters at a time, starting with 人之初，性本善 (rén zhī chū, xìng běn shàn). 人之初 性本善 性相近 习相远
- Chinese poems for kids: Thirty short classical poems that Chinese children learn first, each with pinyin, an English translation and a copy-the-lines worksheet.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 百家姓 (bǎi jiā xìng)?
The 百家姓 (bǎi jiā xìng), Hundred Family Surnames, is a rhyming list of Chinese surnames written in the Northern Song dynasty, about a thousand years ago. Children learned it alongside the Three Character Classic. It opens 赵钱孙李 (Zhào Qián Sūn Lǐ).
Why does the 百家姓 (bǎi jiā xìng) start with 赵钱孙李 (Zhào Qián Sūn Lǐ)?
赵 (Zhào) comes first because it was the family name of the Song emperors when the list was written. The next names are usually explained by powerful families of the time, not by how common they were: it is a rhyme for memorizing, not a ranking.
How many surnames are in the Hundred Family Surnames?
Despite its name, it lists 504 surnames: 444 single-character surnames and 60 two-character ones, such as 欧阳 (Ōuyáng) and 司马 (Sīmǎ). This page has the opening 32 lines, the first 128 surnames.
Is the 百家姓 (bǎi jiā xìng) ordered by how common the names are?
No. The order follows rhyme and Song-dynasty history. Today's most common surnames sit far apart in it: 王 (Wáng), the most common in 2020, is the eighth name in the 百家姓 (bǎi jiā xìng), and 张 (Zhāng), third today, is the 24th.
Is this worksheet free to print?
Yes. The 百家姓 (bǎi jiā xìng) 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.