Here is a list of Chinese names that start with L. 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

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 L

  • Lái, 来: to come; to arrive; to come round
  • Làng, 浪: wave; breaker; unrestrained
  • Láng, 郎: (arch.) minister; official; noun prefix denoting function or status
  • Lěi, 垒: rampart; base (in baseball); to build with stones, bricks etc
  • Lěi, 磊: lumpy; rock pile; uneven
  • Léi, 镭: radium (chemistry)
  • Léi, 雷: thunder; mine (weapon); (Internet slang) terrifying
  • Lì, 力: power; force; strength
  • Lǐ, 理: texture; grain (of wood); inner essence
  • Lǐ, 礼: gift; rite; ceremony
  • Lǐ, 里: lining; interior; inside
  • Lián, 廉: incorruptible; honest; inexpensive
  • Liàng, 亮: bright; clear; resonant
  • Liáng, 梁: Liang Dynasty (502-557); Later Liang Dynasty (907-923); roof beam
  • Liáng, 粮: grain; food; provisions
  • Liáng, 良: good; very; very much
  • Liàng, 量: capacity; quantity; amount
  • Liáo, 辽: short name for Liaoning 遼寧|辽宁[Liao2 ning2] province; Liao or Khitan dynasty (907-1125)
  • Liè, 烈: ardent; intense; fierce
  • Lín, 林: Japanese surname Hayashi; woods; forest
  • Liú, 流: to flow; to disseminate; to circulate or spread
  • Lóng, 隆: short for 吉隆坡[Ji2 long2 po1], Kuala Lumpur; grand; intense
  • Lóng, 龙: dragon; imperial
  • Lóu, 楼: house with more than 1 story; storied building; floor
  • Lù, 录: diary; record; to hit
  • Lù, 禄: good fortune; official salary
  • Lǔ, 鲁: Shandong Province 山東省|山东省[Shan1 dong1 Sheng3]; vassal state during the Zhou Dynasty (1066-221 BC) in modern day Shandong Province; crass
  • Luè, 略: plan; strategy; outline
  • Lún, 仑: to arrange; Kunlun (Karakorum) mountain range in Xinjiang
  • Lún, 伦: human relationship; order; coherence
  • Lún, 轮: wheel; disk; ring

Trendy Chinese Boy Names Starting with L (2000s)

  • Lái, 来: to come; to arrive; to come round
  • Lǎng, 朗: clear; bright
  • Làng, 浪: wave; breaker; unrestrained
  • Láng, 郎: (arch.) minister; official; noun prefix denoting function or status
  • Lěi, 磊: lumpy; rock pile; uneven
  • Léi, 镭: radium (chemistry)
  • Lì, 力: power; force; strength
  • Lǐ, 理: texture; grain (of wood); inner essence
  • Lǐ, 礼: gift; rite; ceremony
  • Lǐ, 里: lining; interior; inside
  • Lián, 廉: incorruptible; honest; inexpensive
  • Liáng, 梁: Liang Dynasty (502-557); Later Liang Dynasty (907-923); roof beam
  • Liáng, 粮: grain; food; provisions
  • Liáng, 良: good; very; very much
  • Liàng, 量: capacity; quantity; amount
  • Liáo, 辽: short name for Liaoning 遼寧|辽宁[Liao2 ning2] province; Liao or Khitan dynasty (907-1125)
  • Lín, 林: Japanese surname Hayashi; woods; forest
  • Lín, 麟: female unicorn
  • Liú, 流: to flow; to disseminate; to circulate or spread
  • Lóng, 泷: rapids; waterfall; torrential (rain)
  • Lóng, 隆: short for 吉隆坡[Ji2 long2 po1], Kuala Lumpur; grand; intense
  • Lóng, 龙: dragon; imperial
  • Lù, 禄: good fortune; official salary
  • Lǔ, 鲁: Shandong Province 山東省|山东省[Shan1 dong1 Sheng3]; vassal state during the Zhou Dynasty (1066-221 BC) in modern day Shandong Province; crass
  • Luè, 略: plan; strategy; outline
  • Lún, 仑: to arrange; Kunlun (Karakorum) mountain range in Xinjiang
  • Lún, 伦: human relationship; order; coherence

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

  • Là, 腊: 12th lunar month; preserved (meat, fish etc)
  • Lán, 兰: orchid (蘭花|兰花 Cymbidium goeringii); fragrant thoroughwort (蘭草|兰草 Eupatorium fortunei); lily magnolia (木蘭|木兰)
  • Lán, 岚: mist; name of a mountain
  • Lěi, 蕾: bud
  • Lěng, 冷: cold
  • Lì, 丽: beautiful
  • Lì, 俐: clever
  • Lí, 梨: pear
  • Lì, 荔: litchi
  • Lì, 莉: jasmine
  • Liàn, 恋: to feel attached to; to long for; to love
  • Lián, 莲: lotus
  • Liàng, 靓: attractive; good-looking
  • Lín, 琳: gem
  • Líng, 伶: clever; (old) actor; actress
  • Líng, 玲: (onom.) ting-a-ling (in compounds such as 玎玲 or 玲瓏|玲珑); tinkling of gem-pendants
  • Líng, 羚: antelope
  • Líng, 苓: fungus; tuber
  • Líng, 铃: (small) bell
  • Liǔ, 柳: willow
  • Liú, 榴: pomegranate
  • Lù, 璐: beautiful jade
  • Lǜ, 绿: green
  • Lù, 露: dew; syrup; nectar
  • Luán, 銮: imperial
  • Luán, 鸾: mythical bird related to phoenix

Chinese Girl Names Starting with L Popular Now

  • Lán, 岚: mist; name of a mountain
  • Lán, 蓝: blue; indigo plant
  • Lěi, 蕾: bud
  • Lì, 俐: clever
  • Lì, 俪: husband and wife
  • Lì, 荔: litchi
  • Liàn, 恋: to feel attached to; to long for; to love
  • Liàng, 靓: attractive; good-looking
  • Lín, 琳: gem
  • Líng, 伶: clever; (old) actor; actress
  • Líng, 羚: antelope
  • Líng, 翎: tail feathers; plume
  • Líng, 菱: Trapa natans; water caltrop
  • Líng, 铃: (small) bell
  • Liǔ, 柳: willow
  • Lù, 潞: name of a river
  • Lù, 璐: beautiful jade
  • Lù, 露: dew; syrup; nectar
  • Lù, 鹭: heron
  • Luán, 鸾: mythical bird related to phoenix

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

  • Lā, 拉: to pull; to play (a bowed instrument); to drag
  • Láng, 琅: jade-like stone; clean and white; tinkling of pendants
  • Lǎo, 老: prefix used before the surname of a person or a numeral indicating the order of birth of the children in a family or to indicate affection or familiarity; old (of people); venerable (person)
  • Lì, 利: sharp; favorable; advantage
  • Lì, 励: to encourage; to urge
  • Lì, 历: calendar; to experience; to undergo
  • Lǐ, 李: plum
  • Lì, 立: to stand; to set up; to establish
  • Lí, 黎: Li ethnic group of Hainan Province; (literary) black; dark
  • Liàn, 炼: to refine; to smelt
  • Liàn, 练: to practice; to train; to drill
  • Lián, 联: to ally; to unite; to join
  • Lián, 连: to link; to join; to connect
  • Liè, 列: to arrange; to line up; file
  • Lìng, 令: to order; to command; an order
  • Líng, 凌: to approach; to rise high; thick ice
  • Lǐng, 岭: mountain range; mountain ridge
  • Líng, 灵: quick; alert; efficacious
  • Líng, 陵: mound; tomb; hill
  • Lǐng, 领: neck; collar; to lead
  • Líng, 龄: age; length of experience, membership etc
  • Liù, 六: six; 6
  • Liú, 刘: surname Liu
  • Liú, 留: to leave (a message etc); to retain; to stay
  • Lú, 卢: (old) rice vessel; black; (slang) (Tw) troublesome
  • Lǚ, 吕: pitchpipe, pitch standard, one of the twelve semitones in the traditional tone system
  • Lǜ, 律: law
  • Lù, 路: road; journey; route
  • Lù, 陆: shore; land; continent
  • Lù, 鹿: deer
  • Lùn, 论: opinion; view; theory
  • Luó, 罗: gauze; to collect; to gather
  • Luò, 落: to fall or drop; (of the sun) to set; (of a tide) to go out

Androgynous Chinese Names Starting with L Popular Today

  • Lā, 拉: to pull; to play (a bowed instrument); to drag
  • Lán, 澜: swelling water
  • Láng, 琅: jade-like stone; clean and white; tinkling of pendants
  • Lǎo, 老: prefix used before the surname of a person or a numeral indicating the order of birth of the children in a family or to indicate affection or familiarity; old (of people); venerable (person)
  • Lè, 乐: happy; cheerful; to laugh
  • Lì, 励: to encourage; to urge
  • Lì, 历: calendar; to experience; to undergo
  • Lǐ, 李: plum
  • Lì, 栎: oak; Quercus serrata
  • Liàn, 炼: to refine; to smelt
  • Lián, 联: to ally; to unite; to join
  • Lín, 临: to face; to overlook; to arrive
  • Lín, 淋: to sprinkle; to drip; to pour
  • Lín, 霖: continued rain
  • Lìng, 令: to order; to command; an order
  • Líng, 凌: to approach; to rise high; thick ice
  • Líng, 灵: quick; alert; efficacious
  • Líng, 陵: mound; tomb; hill
  • Líng, 龄: age; length of experience, membership etc
  • Liú, 刘: surname Liu
  • Lóng, 珑: tinkling of gem-pendants
  • Lú, 卢: (old) rice vessel; black; (slang) (Tw) troublesome
  • Lǚ, 吕: pitchpipe, pitch standard, one of the twelve semitones in the traditional tone system
  • Lǜ, 律: law
  • Lù, 路: road; journey; route
  • Lù, 陆: shore; land; continent
  • Lù, 鹿: deer
  • Lùn, 论: opinion; view; theory
  • Luò, 洛: old name of several rivers (in Henan, Shaanxi, Sichuan and Anhui)
  • Luó, 罗: gauze; to collect; to gather
  • Luò, 落: to fall or drop; (of the sun) to set; (of a tide) to go out

Chinese Last Names Beginning with the Letter L

  • La, 蓝: kohlrabi; blue
  • Lā, 拉: to pull; to play
  • Lái, 来: to come
  • Lài, 赖: disclaim; rely
  • Lán, 兰: orchid
  • Láng, 郎: a youth
  • Láo, 劳: toil
  • Lǎo, 老: old; venerable
  • Lè, 乐: happy; laugh
  • Léi, 雷: thunder
  • Lěng, 冷: cold
  • Lí, 黎: black; abbreviation for Lebanon
  • Lì, 利: advantage; benefit
  • Lì, 励: exhort
  • Lì, 历: calendar; to experience
  • Lì, 厉: severe
  • Lì, 栗: afraid; trembling
  • Lǐ, 李: plum
  • Lián, 廉: incorrupt; inexpensive
  • Lián, 连: even; as
  • Liàn, 练: to practice; to train
  • Liáng, 梁: beam of roof; bridge
  • Liáng, 粱: sorghum
  • Liào, 廖: deserted; empty
  • Lín, 林: woods; forest
  • Lìn, 蔺: juncus effusus
  • Líng, 凌: encroach; soar
  • Líng, 零: remnant; zero
  • Lìnghú, 令狐: 令: make or cause to be; order; 狐: fox
  • Liú, 刘: Liu
  • Liǔ, 柳: willow
  • Lóng, 龙: dragon; imperial
  • Lōng, 隆: sound of drums; grand
  • Lóu, 娄: star; to gather
  • Lóu, 楼: house with more than 1 story; storied building
  • Lú, 卢: rice vessel; black
  • Lú, 芦: rush; reed
  • Lù, 路: road; path
  • Lù, 逯: go carefully
  • Lù, 陆: six; shore
  • Lù, 鹿: deer
  • Lǔ, 鲁: crass
  • Lǜ, 律: law
  • Lǚ, 吕: musical pitch pipe
  • Luán, 栾: Koelreuteria paniculata
  • Lún, 伦: human relationship
  • Luó, 罗: fussy; talkative
  • Luò, 洛: name of a river
  • Luò, 雒: black horse with white mane; fearful
  • Luò, 骆: camel

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.