Quick answer
Pick two characters with a meaning you like, then say the full name aloud with the surname. In Singapore, the Chinese name is optional on the birth certificate. A Hanyu Pinyin name can go in brackets after the English name.
The useful number: Register the birth on LifeSG within 42 days. It costs S$18, and you can change the name once before your child turns 1.
Who is this for?
Parents choosing a Chinese name for their baby in Singapore. The names below are our own list, with each character’s usual meaning. Check any name with family or a Chinese teacher before you register it.
How do we choose a name?
- Start with the meaning. Each character carries its own, so read them one by one, then together.
- Say it aloud with the surname. Mandarin has four tones; a mix of tones is easier to say than three of the same.
- Listen for sound-alikes. A name can sound like an unlucky or silly word, in Mandarin or in dialect.
- Count the characters. Most given names are two characters; one character is shorter but more often shared with others.
- Ask about a generation name. Some families share one character among siblings or cousins of the same generation.
- Check the English spelling too: the initials, and how teachers will read it.
Names with their meanings
Pick girls or boys to filter the list. Names marked “girl or boy” are used for both.
- 欣怡 · Xīnyí
- joyful and cheerful (girl)
- 慧敏 · Huìmǐn
- wise and quick to learn (girl)
- 诗琪 · Shīqí
- poetry and fine jade (girl)
- 雅婷 · Yǎtíng
- elegant and graceful (girl)
- 嘉欣 · Jiāxīn
- good and glad (girl)
- 思颖 · Sīyǐng
- thoughtful and bright (girl)
- 心悦 · Xīnyuè
- a happy heart (girl)
- 若曦 · Ruòxī
- like the morning sunlight (girl)
- 静怡 · Jìngyí
- calm and cheerful (girl)
- 美琳 · Měilín
- beautiful jade (girl)
- 晓雯 · Xiǎowén
- dawn and patterned clouds (girl)
- 婉清 · Wǎnqīng
- gentle and pure (girl)
- 安琪 · Ānqí
- peace and fine jade (girl)
- 芷晴 · Zhǐqíng
- a fragrant herb and a clear sky (girl)
- 雨萱 · Yǔxuān
- rain and the daylily, a flower linked to mothers (girl)
- 俊杰 · Jùnjié
- talented and outstanding (boy)
- 浩然 · Hàorán
- broad-minded and upright (boy)
- 子轩 · Zǐxuān
- a child of high spirit (boy)
- 宇航 · Yǔháng
- to sail the universe (boy)
- 志明 · Zhìmíng
- clear aims (boy)
- 文杰 · Wénjié
- learned and outstanding (boy)
- 嘉豪 · Jiāháo
- good and bold (boy)
- 睿哲 · Ruìzhé
- far-sighted and wise (boy)
- 俊熙 · Jùnxī
- talented and bright (boy)
- 博文 · Bówén
- widely read (boy)
- 振宇 · Zhènyǔ
- to lift up the world (boy)
- 明轩 · Míngxuān
- bright and dignified (boy)
- 家乐 · Jiālè
- a happy family (boy)
- 立诚 · Lìchéng
- to stand by honesty (boy)
- 天佑 · Tiānyòu
- blessed and protected (boy)
- 承恩 · Chéng’ēn
- to receive kindness (boy)
- 子涵 · Zǐhán
- a child with a generous heart (girl or boy)
- 一诺 · Yīnuò
- a promise kept (girl or boy)
- 安然 · Ānrán
- safe and at ease (girl or boy)
- 欣然 · Xīnrán
- glad and willing (girl or boy)
Characters are simplified, as used in Singapore. Meanings are our plain reading, not an official list.
How do the surname and pinyin fit together?
Many Singapore surnames are spelt the dialect way, such as Tan for 陈. ICA’s own example of a name is Isaac Tan (Chen Xiao Ming), written 陈小明 in Chinese. The surname keeps its dialect spelling; the Hanyu Pinyin name sits in brackets.
About 13% of Singapore Citizens have an extra Hanyu Pinyin name, MHA said in February 2026.
How do we register the name?
- All births in Singapore must be registered within 42 days from the date of birth. All parents are required to register their child’s birth via LifeSG. It costs S$18.
- The law says the name “must be in a form expressed in characters in the modern English alphabet”. The Registrar-General can refuse a name that is obscene or offensive.
- Chinese characters: “The inclusion of ethnic name is optional”. “The ethnic characters provided must be found in a recognised dictionary”.
- Hanyu Pinyin: “The inclusion of hanyu pinyin name is optional”. But “it must be accompanied by a corresponding Chinese ethnic character name”. “If included, the child’s hanyu pinyin name will be in brackets”.
- A pinyin name on the birth certificate also shows in your child’s passport.
- Download the digital birth certificate within 90 days, from ICA’s e-Service or MyICA Mobile.
Can we change the name later?
Yes, once, before your child turns 1. ICA charges S$33 to apply, plus S$18 for a new digital birth certificate. You need the other parent’s signed consent. It takes 3 working days.
If you registered the birth without a name, the law lets you add one within 7 years.
What does this guide not tell you?
It does not pick a name for you or check a name against fortune-telling rules. ICA decides what it registers. Check ICA’s page before you apply.
Printables for this guide
Birth registration, Baby Bonus and CDA steps
The steps in order: register the birth on LifeSG within 42 days and enrol in the same flow. Then open the CDA for the First Step Grant and co-matching.
Register the name with the birth
The printable lists what to prepare for LifeSG, then the Baby Bonus and CDA steps that follow.
Get the birth registration steps → Try names with your surname → See your Baby Bonus and CDA →Frequently asked questions
Do we have to give a Chinese name on the birth certificate?
No. ICA says the ethnic name is optional. If you add one, the characters must be in a recognised dictionary.
Can we register a Hanyu Pinyin name without Chinese characters?
No. ICA says a Hanyu Pinyin name must come with a matching Chinese character name.
Why is our surname Tan, not Chen?
Tan is the dialect spelling of 陈. It stays in the English name; the pinyin, such as Chen Xiao Ming, goes in brackets.
Can we change the name after registering?
Once, before your child turns 1. ICA charges S$33, plus S$18 for the new birth certificate.
Keep this guide for the next big decision.
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