How Taiwanese names work
A name in Taiwan is a family name first, almost always one character, then a given name, usually two: 陳美雅 is Chén (family) Měiyǎ (given). A handful of family names are everywhere: 陳, 林, 黃, 張, 李 and 王 alone are about 40 percent of people, by the Ministry of the Interior's count.
Given names are chosen for meaning first. Parents pick characters for qualities they hope for (安 peace, 慧 wisdom, 德 virtue), check how they sound together, and steer clear of ones that sound like something unlucky when said aloud.
How this generator picks your name
- The sound. The family name echoes yours, or the first sound of your name if you only type one. The given name picks up the sounds of your first name, the way 美 měi echoes Mia.
- The meaning. Only characters people in Taiwan really use in names, each with a warm, everyday meaning. Nothing odd, nothing unlucky.
- The reading. The AI only chooses characters. The zhuyin and pinyin you see come from a dictionary, so the pronunciation is never made up.
It writes in traditional characters, as Taiwan does. A name that sounds a bit like yours is how many people who study or work in Taiwan get theirs, but if you'll use it for something lasting, like a tattoo or a business card, ask a native speaker you trust to look at it first.
Say your new name
Introduce yourself the Taiwanese way: 你好，我是 and your name. Lin says the start of it:
- 我是陳美雅ㄨㄛˇ ㄕˋ ㄔㄣˊ ㄇㄟˇ ㄧㄚˇ · wǒ shì Chén MěiyǎI'm Chén Měiyǎ
When you start Bopomo, Lin gives you a Taiwanese name and uses it all the way around the island. Join the waitlist.
Questions
Is this a real Chinese name or a transliteration?
A real name: a common family name and a two-character given name with a meaning, the way names are made in Taiwan. It isn't a letter-by-letter spelling of your English name.
Why traditional characters?
Taiwan writes in traditional characters (陳, not 陈). If you'll use your name in mainland China, the simplified form of some characters is different.
Can I get a different name?
Yes, try again for another. There's a small daily limit per person so the tool stays free for everyone.
Do you keep my name?
No. It's used once to make your Chinese name and isn't saved. To stop abuse we count requests per day by a scrambled form of your connection's address that can't be turned back into it.
Why won't it name some inputs?
It only names people. Anything that isn't a name, or is offensive, gets no name back.