Here is a list of Chinese names that start with D. The page includes both family names and given names for boys and girls, along with their translations.

The list is divided into multiple sections. All the names are drawn from the Chinese Name Database (1930–2008), which contains data on over one billion people, nearly everyone born in China during that period. I analyzed the data in several ways:

  • I removed the most uncommon (less than 1 in 100,000) names from the list.
  • I categorized the given names by gender. Male or names are those given to boys or girls more than 75% of the time, while androgynous names appear have a more even distribution.
  • Traditional names were more common in the late 1900s, while modern names are more common with people born in the 2000s.
  • I also added translations to all the names.

How to Use the List of Chinese Names

This list includes the individual characters that appear in Chinese names. In China, the family name comes first (for example, Xi Jinping, 习近平), followed by the given name. While 95% of family names consist of a single character (Xi, 习), given names more often consist of two characters (Jinping, 近平). However, single-character given names are also common.

If you’re using these lists to create a fictional character, you can either use a single-character given name or combine two characters that work together.

You can use the buttons below to jump into different sections:

Traditional Chinese Boy Names That Begin with D

  • Dá, 达: to attain; to reach; to amount to
  • Dǎng, 党: party; association; club
  • Dé, 得: to obtain; to get; to gain
  • Dé, 德: Germany; German; virtue
  • Dēng, 灯: lamp; light; lantern
  • Dì, 帝: emperor
  • Dí, 狄: generic name for northern ethnic minorities during the Qin and Han Dynasties (221 BC-220 AD); low ranking public official (old)
  • Diǎn, 典: canon; law; standard work of scholarship
  • Diàn, 殿: palace hall
  • Diàn, 电: electric; electricity; electrical
  • Dǐng, 顶: apex; crown of the head; top
  • Dǐng, 鼎: ancient cooking cauldron with two looped handles and three or four legs; pot (dialect); to enter upon a period of (classical)
  • Dōng, 东: east; host (i.e. sitting on east side of guest); landlord
  • Dòng, 动: (of sth) to move; to set in movement; to displace
  • Dòng, 栋: classifier for houses or buildings; ridgepole (old)
  • Dǒng, 董: to supervise; to direct; director
  • Dòu, 斗: to fight; to struggle; to condemn
  • Dōu, 都: all; both; entirely
  • Dǔ, 笃: serious (illness); sincere; true
  • Dūn, 敦: kindhearted; place name
  • Duó, 夺: to seize; to take away forcibly; to wrest control of
  • Duó, 铎: large ancient bell

Trendy Chinese Boy Names Starting with D (2000s)

  • Dá, 达: to attain; to reach; to amount to
  • Dé, 得: to obtain; to get; to gain
  • Dé, 德: Germany; German; virtue
  • Dēng, 灯: lamp; light; lantern
  • Dì, 帝: emperor
  • Dí, 狄: generic name for northern ethnic minorities during the Qin and Han Dynasties (221 BC-220 AD); low ranking public official (old)
  • Diǎn, 典: canon; law; standard work of scholarship
  • Diàn, 殿: palace hall
  • Dǐng, 顶: apex; crown of the head; top
  • Dǐng, 鼎: ancient cooking cauldron with two looped handles and three or four legs; pot (dialect); to enter upon a period of (classical)
  • Dōng, 东: east; host (i.e. sitting on east side of guest); landlord
  • Dòng, 栋: classifier for houses or buildings; ridgepole (old)
  • Dǒng, 董: to supervise; to direct; director
  • Dòu, 斗: to fight; to struggle; to condemn
  • Dōu, 都: all; both; entirely
  • Dǔ, 笃: serious (illness); sincere; true
  • Dūn, 敦: kindhearted; place name
  • Duó, 夺: to seize; to take away forcibly; to wrest control of
  • Duó, 铎: large ancient bell

Chinese Female Given Names Popular in the Past, Starting with D

  • De, 的: of; ~’s (possessive particle); (used after an attribute)
  • Dì, 娣: wife of a younger brother
  • Duǒ, 朵: flower; earlobe; fig. item on both sides

Chinese Girl Names Starting with D Popular Now

  • Dài, 黛: umber-black dye for painting the eyebrow
  • Dān, 丹: red; pellet; powder
  • Dié, 蝶: butterfly
  • Duǒ, 朵: flower; earlobe; fig. item on both sides

Chinese Male/Female Names Popular in the 1900s (Letter D)

  • Dà, 大: big; huge; large
  • Dài, 代: to substitute; to act on behalf of others; to replace
  • Dài, 岱: Mt Tai in Shandong; same as 泰山
  • Dàn, 旦: dawn; morning; daybreak
  • Dào, 道: road; path; principle
  • Dēng, 登: to scale (a height); to ascend; to mount
  • Dèng, 邓: surname Deng
  • Dì, 地: earth; ground; field
  • Dì, 弟: younger brother; junior male; I (modest word in letter)
  • Dì, 棣: Kerria japonica
  • Dí, 笛: flute
  • Dí, 荻: Anaphalis yedoensis (pearly everlasting reed); used in Japanese names with phonetic value Ogi
  • Dí, 迪: to enlighten
  • Diàn, 佃: farmer
  • Diǎn, 点: point; dot; drop
  • Diàn, 钿: to inlay with gold, silver etc; ancient inlaid ornament shaped as a flower
  • Dīng, 丁: fourth of the ten Heavenly Stems 十天干[shi2 tian1 gan1]; fourth in order; letter “D” or Roman “IV” in list “A, B, C”, or “i, Ii, III” etc
  • Dìng, 定: to set; to fix; to determine
  • Dōng, 冬: winter; (onom.) beating a drum; rat-a-tat
  • Dòu, 豆: bean; pea; sacrificial vessel
  • Dù, 杜: birchleaf pear (tree); to stop; to prevent
  • Duān, 端: end; extremity; item
  • Duō, 多: many; much; often

Androgynous Chinese Names Starting with D Popular Today

  • Dài, 代: to substitute; to act on behalf of others; to replace
  • Dài, 岱: Mt Tai in Shandong; same as 泰山
  • Dào, 道: road; path; principle
  • Dēng, 登: to scale (a height); to ascend; to mount
  • Dèng, 邓: surname Deng
  • Dì, 地: earth; ground; field
  • Dì, 弟: younger brother; junior male; I (modest word in letter)
  • Dì, 棣: Kerria japonica
  • Dí, 笛: flute
  • Dí, 荻: Anaphalis yedoensis (pearly everlasting reed); used in Japanese names with phonetic value Ogi
  • Dí, 迪: to enlighten
  • Diǎn, 点: point; dot; drop
  • Diàn, 钿: to inlay with gold, silver etc; ancient inlaid ornament shaped as a flower
  • Dīng, 丁: fourth of the ten Heavenly Stems 十天干[shi2 tian1 gan1]; fourth in order; letter “D” or Roman “IV” in list “A, B, C”, or “i, Ii, III” etc
  • Dìng, 定: to set; to fix; to determine
  • Dòu, 豆: bean; pea; sacrificial vessel
  • Dù, 杜: birchleaf pear (tree); to stop; to prevent
  • Duān, 端: end; extremity; item
  • Duō, 多: many; much; often

Chinese Last Names Beginning with the Letter D

  • Dá, 达: attain; pass through
  • Dài, 代: substitute; generation
  • Dài, 戴: to put on; to respect
  • Dàn, 但: but; yet
  • Dàn, 石: 10 pecks; rock
  • Dān, 丹: red; pellet
  • Dǎng, 党: party; association
  • Dāo, 刀: knife
  • Dé, 德: Germany; virtue
  • Dèng, 邓: Deng
  • Dí, 狄: barbarians; name of a tribe
  • Dǐ, 邸: lodging-house
  • Diāo, 刁: artful; wicked
  • Dīng, 丁: 4th heavenly stem
  • Dǒng, 董: supervise; to direct
  • Dōng, 东: east
  • Dòu, 窦: sinus
  • Dòu, 豆: bean; peas
  • Dù, 杜: fabricate; restrict
  • Dū, 都: all; both
  • Duàn, 段: paragraph; section
  • Dùn, 顿: a time; jerk
  • Duō, 多: many; much

About This List

I have made similar lists of Chinese names for all the letters of the alphabet from A to Z. The only letters missing are those that don’t appear as initials in Chinese. 

About Arimo Travels

My website, Arimo Travels, started as a hub for sustainable travel guides. In 2026, I announced that I would stop updating the site. However, I enjoy working on these lists of names from different countries, so I continue to add them quietly.

To some people, spending hours working with Excel spreadsheets and lists might sound incredibly boring. However, I find it very engaging and a great way to unwind after my much more demanding day job as a psychologist.

Besides these lists of Chinese given names and surnames, I have created similar lists for names from many other countries. You can find them all on the Names Around the World page.

When this site still focused on traveling, I wrote one blog post about my past travels in China.