Chinese parents (at least in ancient times) have different aspiration for their daughters and the basis for selection Chinese baby girl names are different from that for the boys.
A good daughter should respect their parents and love their brothers and sisters. There are also expected to take care of their family and be good at housekeeping.
In addition to being filial, virtuous, gentle and chaste, they are also expected to be intelligent, graceful, sedate and pretty.
Finally they should get along well with the neighbours.
To put it another way, daughters should have both inner beauty and attractive appearance.
That is a lot to expect and the appropriate Chinese baby girl name would help a lot to get on the right step!
Baby Girl Names Selection Methodology
Based on the above expectations, parent would name their baby girl using words that would convey the following meanings. (I have provide the Chinese characters and meaning in the examples below).
Virtue and Tenderness
e.g. Ai 爱 meaning ‘love’
e.g. Pin 品 meaning ‘moral integrity’
e.g. Shu 淑 meaning ‘kind-hearted’
Feminine Beauty
e.g. Li 丽 meaning ‘pretty’
e.g. Lan 兰 meaning ‘orchid’
e.g. Mei 美 meaning ‘beautiful’
Intelligence (Feminine Style)
e.g. Wen 文 meaning ‘knowledge’
e.g. Ling 灵 meaning ‘agile’
e.g. Fei 非 meaning ‘fly’ to describe nimbleness
Gracefulness and Elegance
e.g. Zhuang 庄 meaning ‘dignified’
e.g. An 安 meaning ‘sedate’
e.g. Jie 洁 meaning ‘noble’
Another technique of naming is by using elements. The elements of metal and fire are associated with the baby boy while the elements of wood and water with the female. The earth element can be used by both boys and girls.
Words that begin with the characters c, q, r, s, x, or z in the Hanyu Pinyin system belongs to the metal element. Examples include Cai 才 meaning ‘talent’, Qi 起 meaning ‘rise’, Ren 仁 meaning ‘humanity’, Shi 师 meaning ‘master’, Xiang 香 meaning ‘fragrant’ and Zhen 真 meaning ‘true’.
Words that begin with the characters g or k belong to the wood element. Characters like Gan 甘 meaning ‘sweet’ and Ke 科 meaning ‘science’ are examples of wood element words.
Words that begin with b, f, h, m or p belong to the water elements. Examples include Bai 白 meaning ‘white’, Fang 方 meaning ‘square’, He 和meaning ‘gentle’, Man 满meaning ‘full’ and Peng 朋 meaning ‘friend’.
Words that begin with d, j, l, n and t belong to the fire element. Characters like Dao 导meaning ‘guide’, Ji 季 meaning ‘season’, Li 理 meaning ‘logic’, Ning 宁 meaning ‘peaceful’ and Tian 天 meaning ‘heaven’ are examples of fire element words.
Finally words that begin with a, w, y, e or o belong to the earth element. Examples include Ai 爱meaning ‘love’, Wu 武 meaning ‘military’, Ye 业 meaning business and En 恩meaning ‘favor’.
Chinese baby boys name can have names made up of an earth + fire, earth + metal, fire + fire or metal + metal combinations. Examples include An Dao 安道, an earth + fire or Yi Shu 艺书, an earth + metal combinations.
Chinese baby girls name on the other hand would combine water + wood, wood + water, water + water, earth + earth or wood + wood. Examples include Ge Feng 歌风 a wood + water combination and Bai Fang 白方 a water + water combination.
