In Chinese culture, daughters generally receive two Chinese girl names (such as Ai Lun or Ying Hui) that represent the virtues and gifts her parents hope she will have, such as intelligence, kindness, and beauty. Here are our favorite Chinese names for girls; mix and match any two with auspicious meanings for your baby girl.
Ai
One of the most common—and most beautiful—Chinese names for girls, Ai (pronounced “eye”) means “love.”
An
Choose this in lieu of the Western Anne/Ann—An means “peaceful.”
Bao
Bao means jewel or treasure. (In fact, a common nickname for babies is “hao bao bao,” which means “good baby.”)
Chen
A baby name that’s used for boys or girls, Chen means “dawn.”
Fan
While most Chinese girl names have very peaceful and beautiful meanings—Fan’s one of the rare choices that are a little bolder. It means “dangerous” or “lethal.”
Fen
Often paired with a floral name, Fen means “fragrant.”
He
This two-letter name can be an offbeat choice of floral name. It means “lotus.”
Hua
Pronounced “Hwah,” Hua has a lovely meaning: “flower.”
Hui
Pronouncd “Hway,” Hui is associated with cleverness.
Ju
This short and sweet name has a cheerful meaning—“daisy.”
Jun
An alternative to Juniper or June, Jun has a lovely meaning: “truthful.”
Lan
Part of Disney princess Mulan’s name, Lan means “orchid.”
Lei
This Chinese name may make you think of the beautiful floral necklaces from Hawaii, it means something different in Chinese—“thunder.”
Li
The most common surname in China is also often used as a given name. Pronounced “Lee,” the Li character most often used for girls means “beautiful.”
Ling
Two different characters can be used Ling—one means “soul,” and the other, “chime.”
Mei
Considered one of the most popular Chinese girl names as a more exotic take on May/Mae. Mei means “beautiful flower.”
Ming
Actress Ming Na is the most famous modern wearer of this name, which means “enlightened.”
Shu
This sweet name means “kind” or “warm-hearted,” a wonderful sentiment.
Ting
Ting means “enduring” or “timeless.”
Xiu
Pronounced like “Zuzu” (think ZuZu’s petals from It’s a Wonderful Life), this Chinese girls’ name means “charming.”
Ya
Ya is one of the sweest Chinese girl names out there; it means “graceful.”
Ying
Ying means “smart,” and is one of the most popular Chinese names for girls—or boys.
Zhen
An exotic riff on “Jen” could be this elegant Chinese name that means “innocent.”
Photo: Getty
