Chinese name order in Japanese
Does the family name or given name come first?
Chinese and Japanese names written in their native order commonly place the family name before the given name. Form labels and two-character compound surnames are where confusion usually begins.
Split a Chinese nameSeparate the full name into family and given names
In 张伟, 张 is the family name and 伟 is the given name. In 王小明, 王 is the family name and 小明 is the given name. NameFerry inserts a space between these parts in its Japanese reading.
欧阳娜娜 should not be divided as 欧 and 阳娜娜. 欧阳 is a complete compound family name, while 娜娜 is the given name.
Chinese name structure examples
The table explains name boundaries without changing the original name.
| Full name | Family name | Given name | Grouped Japanese on-reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 张伟 | 张 | 伟 | チョウ イ |
| 王小明 | 王 | 小明 | オウ ショウメイ |
| 刘洋 | 刘 | 洋 | リュウ ヨウ |
| 欧阳娜娜 | 欧阳 | 娜娜 | オウヨウ ダダ |
How common name labels match
姓 / Family name / Last name
These labels identify the family name: 张 in 张伟 and 欧阳 in 欧阳娜娜.
名 / Given name / First name
These labels identify the given name: 伟 in 张伟 and 小明 in 王小明.
氏名 / 姓名
These usually refer to the full name. Check whether the page also provides separate family- and given-name fields.
セイ / メイ
These often label surname and given-name readings on Japanese forms; they do not introduce a different name order.
Identify the two parts in three steps
Check the first one or two characters
Most Chinese family names have one character, while a smaller group has two.
Recognize compound surnames
Treat 欧阳, 司马, 诸葛 and 上官 as complete family names.
Read the remaining characters as the given name
The next one or two characters commonly form the given name.
Native Chinese and Japanese order are similar
In native character order, both commonly use family name followed by given name. An English interface may display Given name first, so rely on the label rather than position alone.
NameFerry recognizes a maintained list of common compound surnames. Contact us if there is another surname or reading you would like added.
Continue exploring Chinese names in Japanese
How do you read a Chinese name in Japanese?
Start with the complete guide to Japanese kanji, on-readings and Katakana.
How to write a Chinese name in Japanese Katakana
Compare Japanese readings, Mandarin pronunciation and the available Kana formats.
How are common Chinese surnames read in Japanese?
Look up common Chinese surnames in Japanese glyphs, on-readings and Mandarin Katakana.
How to fill in Furigana with a Chinese name
Distinguish name, Furigana, Hiragana and passport Roman-letter fields.
How does a Chinese name change in Japanese kanji?
Compare Chinese name characters with commonly used Japanese forms.
What is the difference between Japanese romaji and Pinyin for a Chinese name?
See how a Japanese on-reading becomes romaji and how it differs from Hanyu Pinyin.
How do you write a Chinese name in Japanese hiragana?
Compare the hiragana and katakana forms of a Chinese name’s Japanese on-reading.
How do you introduce your Chinese name in Japanese?
Learn to explain a Chinese name’s kanji, pronunciation, and preferred form of address in Japanese.
Why Japanese names cannot be read by on’yomi alone
Compare Chinese-name on-readings and learn how Katakana, Hiragana and Romaji differ.
How can you hear a Chinese name pronounced in Japanese?
Hear Japanese on-readings and Mandarin-based Katakana references for Chinese names.
How are common Chinese given-name characters read in Japanese?
Compare Japanese glyphs, on-readings and Mandarin Katakana for common given-name characters.
How are Chinese compound surnames read in Japanese?
Compare Japanese glyphs, on-readings and Mandarin Katakana for compound Chinese surnames.
Do you need a Japanese name generator or a Chinese name converter?
Understand the difference between a Japanese name generator and a Chinese-to-Japanese name converter.
See how NameFerry splits your name
Enter a Chinese name to view surname detection, character readings and the grouped Japanese reading.