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 nameTwo boxes, one name—which part goes where? The labels matter more than which box comes first.
Family name first, then given name
A Chinese name written in kanji normally keeps its family-name-first order in Japanese. 张伟 splits as 张 / 伟, 王小明 as 王 / 小明, and 欧阳娜娜 as 欧阳 / 娜娜. An English form may put the given-name field first, so follow its labels.
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.
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 fill in Furigana with a Chinese name
Distinguish name, Furigana, Hiragana and Roman-letter fields.
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.
How are common Chinese surnames read in Japanese?
Look up common Chinese surnames in Japanese glyphs, on-readings and Mandarin Katakana.
See how NameFerry splits your name
Enter a Chinese name to view surname detection, character readings and the grouped Japanese reading.