The Chart That Advised Emperors

A Chinese name begins with the family surname — the clan line you are born into. The thousand-year-old Hundred Family Surnames (Bǎi Jiā Xìng, c. 960 CE) lists the old clans, each traced to an ancient state, office or ancestor. Most foreigners have no clan name, so: if your family name exists, just type it (Lee, Chen, Kim…) and we match its Chinese character; if not, pick a clan below — hover for its story — or roll the dice and receive one.