Here is a list of Chinese names that start with Q. 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.
As you can see below, Q is quite a common initial in Chinese.
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 Male Chinese Names that Start with Q
- Modern Male Chinese Names that Start with Q
- Traditional Female Chinese Names that Start with Q
- Modern Female Chinese Names that Start with Q
- Traditional Male/Female Chinese Names that Start with Q
- Modern Male/Female Chinese Names that Start with Q
- Chinese Family Names that Start with Q
Traditional Chinese Boy Names That Begin with Q
- Qí, 奇: strange; odd; weird
- Qí, 岐: also used in place names
- Qí, 旗: flag; banner; (in Qing times) Manchu (cf. 八旗[Ba1 qi2])
- Qī, 期: period; cycle; a period of time
- Qí, 歧: divergent; side road
- Qí, 祁: large; vast
- Qǐ, 起: to rise; to raise; to get up
- Qián, 乾: one of the Eight Trigrams 八卦[ba1 gua4], symbolizing heaven; male principle; ☰
- Qián, 前: front; forward; ahead
- Qián, 潜: hidden; secret; latent
- Qiān, 谦: modest
- Qián, 黔: abbr. for Guizhou province 貴州|贵州[Gui4 zhou1]
- Qiáng, 强: strong; powerful; better
- Qiáo, 桥: bridge
- Qīn, 钦: to respect; to admire; to venerate
- Quán, 全: all; whole; entire
- Quán, 权: authority; power; right
- Quán, 泉: spring (small stream); mouth of a spring; coin (archaic)
- Quán, 铨: to estimate; to select
Trendy Chinese Boy Names Starting with Q (2000s)
- Qí, 奇: strange; odd; weird
- Qí, 岐: also used in place names
- Qí, 旗: flag; banner; (in Qing times) Manchu (cf. 八旗[Ba1 qi2])
- Qī, 期: period; cycle; a period of time
- Qí, 歧: divergent; side road
- Qí, 祁: large; vast
- Qǐ, 起: to rise; to raise; to get up
- Qí, 骐: piebald horse; used for 麒[qi2], mythical unicorn
- Qí, 麒: mythical male unicorn
- Qián, 乾: one of the Eight Trigrams 八卦[ba1 gua4], symbolizing heaven; male principle; ☰
- Qián, 前: front; forward; ahead
- Qián, 潜: hidden; secret; latent
- Qiān, 谦: modest
- Qián, 黔: abbr. for Guizhou province 貴州|贵州[Gui4 zhou1]
- Qiáo, 桥: bridge
- Qīn, 钦: to respect; to admire; to venerate
- Quán, 权: authority; power; right
- Quán, 泉: spring (small stream); mouth of a spring; coin (archaic)
- Quán, 铨: to estimate; to select
Chinese Female Given Names Popular in the Past, Starting with Q
- Qiàn, 倩: pretty; winsome; to ask for sb’s help
- Qiàn, 欠: deficient; to owe; to lack
- Qiàn, 茜: Rubia cordifolia; Indian madder; munjeet
- Qiào, 俏: good-looking; charming; (of goods) in great demand
- Qiǎo, 巧: opportunely; coincidentally; as it happens
- Qín, 琴: guqin 古琴[gu3 qin2] (a type of zither); musical instrument in general
- Qín, 芹: Chinese celery
- Qíng, 情: feeling; emotion; passion
- Qióng, 琼: jasper; fine jade; beautiful
- Qiū, 秋: autumn; fall; harvest time
Chinese Girl Names Starting with Q Popular Now
- Qǐ, 绮: beautiful; open-work silk
- Qiàn, 倩: pretty; winsome; to ask for sb’s help
- Qiān, 芊: green; luxuriant growth
- Qiàn, 茜: Rubia cordifolia; Indian madder; munjeet
- Qiào, 俏: good-looking; charming; (of goods) in great demand
- Qìn, 沁: to seep; to percolate
- Qíng, 情: feeling; emotion; passion
- Qíng, 晴: clear; fine (weather)
- Qiū, 秋: autumn; fall; harvest time
Chinese Male/Female Names Popular in the 1900s (Letter Q)
- Qī, 七: seven; 7
- Qí, 其: his; her; its
- Qǐ, 启: Qi son of Yu the Great 禹[Yu3], reported founder of the Xia Dynasty 夏朝[Xia4 Chao2] (c. 2070-c. 1600 BC); to open; to start
- Qí, 齐: (name of states and dynasties at several different periods); neat; even
- Qiān, 迁: to move; to shift; to change (a position or location etc)
- Qián, 钱: coin; money; unit of weight, one tenth of a tael 兩|两[liang3]
- Qiáo, 乔: tall
- Qiáo, 侨: emigrant; to reside abroad
- Qīn, 亲: parent; one’s own (flesh and blood); relative
- Qín, 勤: diligent; industrious; hardworking
- Qín, 秦: Qin dynasty (221-207 BC) of the first emperor 秦始皇[Qin2 Shi3 huang2]
- Qīng, 卿: high ranking official (old); term of endearment between spouses (old); (from the Tang Dynasty onwards) term used by the emperor for his subjects (old)
- Qìng, 庆: to celebrate
- Qíng, 擎: to raise (hand)
- Qīng, 清: Qing or Ch’ing dynasty of Imperial China (1644-1911); clear; distinct
- Qīng, 青: nature’s color; green or blue; greenish black
- Qiú, 求: to seek; to look for; to request
- Qiú, 球: ball; sphere; globe
- Qǔ, 曲: tune; song
- Qú, 渠: big; stream or canal; drain
- Quán, 荃: (fragrant plant)
- Qún, 群: group; crowd; flock, herd, pack etc
Androgynous Chinese Names Starting with Q Popular Today
- Qí, 其: his; her; its
- Qǐ, 启: Qi son of Yu the Great 禹[Yu3], reported founder of the Xia Dynasty 夏朝[Xia4 Chao2] (c. 2070-c. 1600 BC); to open; to start
- Qí, 圻: boundary; a border
- Qí, 崎: mountainous
- Qí, 棋: chess; chess-like game; a game of chess
- Qí, 淇: name of a river
- Qí, 琦: curio; valuable stone
- Qí, 琪: fine jade
- Qí, 祈: to implore; to pray; to request
- Qí, 祺: auspicious; propitious; good luck
- Qí, 齐: (name of states and dynasties at several different periods); neat; even
- Qiān, 仟: thousand (banker’s anti-fraud numeral)
- Qiān, 千: thousand
- Qiān, 迁: to move; to shift; to change (a position or location etc)
- Qián, 钱: coin; money; unit of weight, one tenth of a tael 兩|两[liang3]
- Qiáo, 乔: tall
- Qiáo, 侨: emigrant; to reside abroad
- Qiào, 翘: to stick up; to rise on one end; to tilt
- Qīn, 亲: parent; one’s own (flesh and blood); relative
- Qín, 秦: Qin dynasty (221-207 BC) of the first emperor 秦始皇[Qin2 Shi3 huang2]
- Qīng, 卿: high ranking official (old); term of endearment between spouses (old); (from the Tang Dynasty onwards) term used by the emperor for his subjects (old)
- Qìng, 庆: to celebrate
- Qíng, 擎: to raise (hand)
- Qīng, 清: Qing or Ch’ing dynasty of Imperial China (1644-1911); clear; distinct
- Qīng, 青: nature’s color; green or blue; greenish black
- Qú, 渠: big; stream or canal; drain
- Quán, 荃: (fragrant plant)
Chinese Last Names Beginning with the Letter Q
- Qí, 亓: his; her
- Qí, 其: his; her
- Qí, 祁: large; vast
- Qí, 綦: dark gray; superlative
- Qí, 齐: even; to make even
- Qī, 戚: ashamed; grief
- Qī, 漆: paint; lacquer
- Qián, 钱: coin; money
- Qiān, 千: thousand; a swing
- Qiáng, 强: strength; force
- Qiáo, 乔: tall
- Qiáo, 谯: drum tower; ridicule
- Qiè, 郄: surname character; person from the city of Xi
- Qín, 秦: name of a dynasty
- Qīn, 钦: royal
- Qìng, 庆: celebrate
- Qīng, 卿: minister; term of endearment between spouses
- Qīng, 青: green
- Qiú, 仇: hatred; animosity
- Qiú, 裘: fur; fur coat
- Qiū, 丘: Confucius; given name
- Qiū, 秋: autumn; fall
- Qiū, 邱: mound
- Qú, 渠: big; stream or canal
- Qú, 瞿: startled
- Qū, 屈: bent; feel wronged
- Qū, 曲: bent; crooked
- Quán, 全: all; whole
- Quán, 权: authority; power
- Què, 阙: deficiency
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.
- Names that Start with A
- Names that Start with B
- Names that Start with C
- Names that Start with D
- Names that Start with E
- Names that Start with F
- Names that Start with G
- Names that Start with H
- Names that Start with J
- Names that Start with K
- Names that Start with L
- Names that Start with M
- Names that Start with N
- Names that Start with O
- Names that Start with P
- Names that Start with Q
- Names that Start with R
- Names that Start with S
- Names that Start with T
- Names that Start with U
- Names that Start with W
- Names that Start with X
- Names that Start with Y
- Names that Start with Z
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.