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

  • Pān, 攀: to climb (by pulling oneself up); to implicate; to claim connections of higher status
  • Péng, 彭: surname Peng
  • Péng, 朋: friend
  • Péng, 棚: shed; canopy; shack
  • Péng, 蓬: fleabane (family Asteraceae); disheveled; classifier for luxuriant plants, smoke, ashes, campfires: clump, puff
  • Péng, 鹏: Peng, large fabulous bird; roc
  • Pō, 坡: slope; sloping; slanted
  • Pǔ, 普: general; popular; everywhere
  • Pǔ, 朴: plain and simple; Taiwan pr. [pu2]
  • Pǔ, 浦: river bank; shore; river drainage ditch (old)

Trendy Chinese Boy Names Starting with P (2000s)

  • Pān, 攀: to climb (by pulling oneself up); to implicate; to claim connections of higher status
  • Péng, 彭: surname Peng
  • Péng, 棚: shed; canopy; shack
  • Péng, 澎: sound of waves
  • Péng, 蓬: fleabane (family Asteraceae); disheveled; classifier for luxuriant plants, smoke, ashes, campfires: clump, puff
  • Péng, 鹏: Peng, large fabulous bird; roc
  • Pǔ, 普: general; popular; everywhere
  • Pǔ, 朴: plain and simple; Taiwan pr. [pu2]
  • Pǔ, 浦: river bank; shore; river drainage ditch (old)

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

  • Pèi, 佩: to respect; to wear (belt etc); girdle ornaments
  • Pīng, 娉: graceful
  • Píng, 屏: (standing) screen
  • Píng, 苹: (artemisia); duckweed; apple
  • Píng, 萍: duckweed

Chinese Girl Names Starting with P Popular Now

  • Pèi, 佩: to respect; to wear (belt etc); girdle ornaments
  • Pīng, 娉: graceful
  • Píng, 萍: duckweed

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

  • Pān, 潘: Pan, faun in Greek mythology, son of Hermes
  • Pán, 盘: plate; dish; tray
  • Pàn, 盼: to hope for; to long for; to expect
  • Pàng, 胖: fat; plump
  • Péi, 培: to bank up with earth; to cultivate (lit. or fig.); to train (people)
  • Pèi, 沛: copious; abundant
  • Pèi, 配: to join; to fit; to mate
  • Pī, 丕: grand
  • Piāo, 飘: to float
  • Pǐn, 品: article; commodity; product
  • Píng, 坪: a plain; ping, unit of area equal to approx. 3.3058 square meters (used in Japan and Taiwan)
  • Píng, 平: flat; level; equal
  • Pú, 璞: unpolished gem
  • Pú, 蒲: old place name; refers to various monocotyledonous flowering plants including Acorus calamus and Typha orientalis; common cattail

Androgynous Chinese Names Starting with P Popular Today

  • Pān, 潘: Pan, faun in Greek mythology, son of Hermes
  • Péi, 培: to bank up with earth; to cultivate (lit. or fig.); to train (people)
  • Pèi, 沛: copious; abundant
  • Péng, 芃: luxuriant growth
  • Piāo, 飘: to float
  • Pǐn, 品: article; commodity; product
  • Píng, 坪: a plain; ping, unit of area equal to approx. 3.3058 square meters (used in Japan and Taiwan)
  • Pú, 璞: unpolished gem
  • Pú, 蒲: old place name; refers to various monocotyledonous flowering plants including Acorus calamus and Typha orientalis; common cattail

Chinese Last Names Beginning with the Letter P

  • Pán, 盘: big; wooden tray
  • Pàn, 泮: melt
  • Pān, 潘: Pan River; water used for washing rice
  • Páng, 庞: huge; enormous
  • Páng, 逄: to meet; to encounter
  • Péi, 裴: long and flowing
  • Péng, 彭: drum sound; swelling
  • Pí, 皮: leather; skin
  • Píng, 平: flat; level
  • Pú, 濮: name of a river
  • Pú, 蒲: calamus
  • Pǔ, 普: general; popular
  • Pǔ, 朴: Celtis sinensis var. japonica; plain and simple
  • Pǔ, 浦: beach

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.