Cantonese and Hong Kong names
Cantonese names live in two worlds at once. A child gets a Chinese given name, almost always two characters chosen for meaning AND for how the tones sing against the family name, then often an English name for school and work, sometimes a common one, sometimes an invention all Hong Kong's own (Ekin, Hacken, Eason). The characters carry real weight: 詠 for a life sung like poetry, 浩 for something vast, 傑 for a hero. And because Cantonese romanizes differently from Mandarin, the sounds keep their own music, Cheung not Zhang, Wong not Wang, the little dragon Siu-Lung that the world came to know as Bruce Lee.
Aarif knowing or learned; an Arabic spelling related to Arif and borne in Hong Kong by actor Aarif Rahman
Aaron borrowed English name; carried by Aaron Kwok, another of the "Four Heavenly Kings"
Alvin from Old English names such as Aelfwine, 'elf friend', or Aethelwine, 'noble friend'
Andy pet form of Andrew, 'manly, brave' (Greek Andreas); a borrowed English name in Hong Kong; carried by Andy Lau of the Four Heavenly Kings
Anita Spanish diminutive of Ana, 'grace' (from Hebrew Hannah); famously borne by Anita Mui, the Madonna of Asia, as her beloved Hong Kong stage name
Bo treasure or precious object (寶)
Bosco wood or grove; familiar as a given name through Saint John Bosco and used in Hong Kong
Cass short form used for Cassandra, Cassidy, Cassia, and other Cass- names
Cecilia from the Roman family name Caecilius, traditionally linked to Latin caecus, 'blind'; a favorite name in Hong Kong; carried by film star Cecilia Cheung
Charlene English feminine diminutive of Charles; also established as an English personal name in Hong Kong
Charmaine borrowed English name; carried by actress Charmaine Sheh, a leading face of HK television drama
Chau autumn (秋); a classic Cantonese given name evoking the fall season
Cheuk-Ying outstanding; clever or exceptionally able (卓穎)
Cheuk-Yiu outstanding jade (卓瑤), a popular pairing for Hong Kong girls of the 2010s
Chi-Ching aspiration and purity (志清)
Chi-Hang constant aspiration (志恒)
Chi-Ming aspiration and brightness (志明); Hong Kong's beloved everyman name, lead character of the film Love in a Puff (志明與春嬌)
Chi-Wai aspiration, greatness (志偉)
Ching-Yu clear; eaves, house, or universe (澄宇)
Chit wise, philosophical (哲)
Chiu-Wai greatness at court (朝偉); famously borne by Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Cannes Best Actor winner (In the Mood for Love, 2000); distinct from Tony Leung Ka-fai (梁家輝)
Chun handsome, talented (俊)
Chun-Hei handsome and radiant (俊熙); a fixture atop Hong Kong's boys' charts in the 2010s and 2020s. The spelling is Hong Kong government romanization (Jyutping zeon3 hei1), the form that follows families onto US paperwork
Chun-Kit handsome and outstanding (俊傑), a perennial Hong Kong combination
Chun-Wah uplift China, splendor (振華), a patriotic mid-century classic
Deanie name borne by actor and singer Deanie Ip; no etymology or longer-form relationship is verified
Denise French feminine form of Denis, ultimately connected with the Greek god Dionysus; familiar in Hong Kong through Denise Ho
Eason an invented/adapted English name; carried by Eason Chan, one of Cantopop's most acclaimed vocalists
Edison an English surname, son of Eda or Edward; borrowed as a given name in Hong Kong; carried by Edison Chen of 2000s HK entertainment
Ekin name borne by Ekin Cheng; his English spelling closely echoes his Cantonese given name Yee-kin, but no broader etymology is verified
Elva Irish anglicized form of Ailbhe; separately a Danish and Icelandic feminine form of Alf
Fa flower (花); a classic Cantonese given-name element
Fai brightness, prosperity (輝)
Fei fragrant, luxuriant (菲); famously borne by singer Faye Wong (王菲), whose English stage name Faye is a phonetic echo of Fei
Fei-Hung flying wild goose (飛鴻); given name of Wong Fei-hung, the Qing-era folk hero, martial artist and physician mythologized in over 100 Hong Kong films
Fiona literary Scottish name popularized by James Macpherson and related to Gaelic fionn, 'white' or 'fair'
Fong fragrant, virtuous (芳); a classic Cantonese given name favored for girls
Fu prosperous, wealthy (富)
Fung phoenix (鳳)
Gigi diminutive of names containing the letters or sound gi, used in French, Italian, Romanian, and Georgian naming traditions
Hacken name borne by Hacken Lee; his English spelling closely echoes his Cantonese given name Hak-kan, but no broader etymology is verified
Hei bright, splendid, or prosperous (熙)
Hei-Tung bright or splendid; red or vermilion (熙彤)
Hei-Yiu dawn light on fine jade (晞瑤); a distinctly 2020s Hong Kong coinage. The Yiu here is 瑤, precious jade, a different word from the 耀 (to shine) of boys' names like Yiu-Ming
Ho-Ming vast brightness (浩明)
Ho-Yin vast; so or correct (浩然), a pair echoed in Mencius's 浩然之氣
Hoi sea (海)
Hoi-Lam sea; beautiful jade or precious gem (海琳)
Hoi-Ying varies by characters; often 海瑩 sea luster
Hok-Yau scholarly friend (學友); famously borne by Jacky Cheung Hok-yau, Cantopop's God of Songs
Jacky borrowed English name; carried by Jacky Cheung, another of the "Four Heavenly Kings," famed for his voice
Joey unisex English diminutive, usually of Joseph and sometimes Josephine or Johanna; a borrowed English name in Hong Kong, carried by Cantopop star Joey Yung
Josie affectionate form of Josephine, ultimately connected with the Hebrew name Joseph
Ka excellent, good; family (嘉/家); a common element in compounds like Ka-Yan and Ka-Ming
Ka-Fai family brightness (家輝); given name of actor Tony Leung Ka-fai. A Hong Kong ID card carries both names at once (Tony LEUNG Ka-fai): the English name for school and work, the Cantonese name for family and the record
Ka-Kit family hero (家傑)
Ka-Kui family colt (家駒); famously borne by Wong Ka Kui, lead singer and songwriter of Hong Kong rock band Beyond, one of Cantopop's most influential musicians
Ka-Lok family happiness (家樂)
Ka-Man family literature, family culture (家文)
Ka-Ming family or home; bright or clear (家明)
Ka-Wai guardian of the family (家衛); famously borne by Wong Kar-wai, auteur director of In the Mood for Love and Chungking Express
Ka-Yan family joy (家欣)
Kam gold (金); a classic Cantonese given name evoking wealth and prosperity
Karen Danish short form of Katherine; also established as an English personal name in Hong Kong
Kelly from the Irish surname O Ceallaigh, traditionally 'bright-headed'; a popular name in Hong Kong; carried by Cantopop mainstay Kelly Chen
Kin healthy, vigorous (健)
Kit outstanding or remarkable (傑)
Kong-Sang born in Hong Kong (港生); famously borne by Jackie Chan Kong-sang, from the mid-century pattern of naming a child for the place of birth
Kwan ruler or lord; a person of cultivated character (君)
Kwok-Wing national glory (國榮); famously borne by Leslie Cheung, one of HK cinema's most iconic stars, whose given name this was
Lai beautiful (麗); a classic element, the opening of Lai-Ying already in this collection
Lai-Ying beautiful and outstanding (麗英), an older-generation classic
Lam fine jade (琳) for girls or steady rain (霖) for boys; the modern closing element in names like Hoi-Lam
Leon lion (Greek leon); a borrowed English name in Hong Kong; carried by Leon Lai, the fourth of the Four Heavenly Kings
Leslie from a Scottish place name and surname, possibly 'garden of hollies'; famously borne by Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, one of Hong Kong's most storied English names
Ling tinkling of jade (玲); the classic closing syllable of Cantonese girls' names (Mei-Ling, Wai-Ling) and a name on its own in US Chinatowns
Lok happiness (樂)
Long-Hei bright or clear; splendid or prosperous (朗熙)
Lung a Cantonese name; the sound Lung most familiarly renders 龍, “dragon”, though it can spell other characters too
Maggie pet form of Margaret, 'pearl' (Greek margarites); famously borne by Maggie Cheung Man-yuk, who paired it with her formal Cantonese name
Man Ling varies by characters: often 文玲 (literary, tinkling of jade) or 曼玲 (graceful jade)
Man-Wai writing, literature, or culture; great or mighty (文偉)
Man-Yee cultured and dignified (文儀)
Man-Yuk graceful jade (曼玉); famously borne by actress Maggie Cheung (張曼玉), first Asian winner of the Cannes Best Actress award (Clean, 2004)
Mei beautiful (美); a classic Cantonese given-name element, common alone or in compounds like Siu-Mei
Mei-Ling beautiful and delicate as tinkling jade (美玲); the spelling generations of Cantonese American daughters carried in US Chinatowns, decades before pinyin Meiling arrived with Mandarin-speaking families
Ming bright (明); the workhorse syllable of Cantonese boys' names, already the second half of Siu-Ming, Ka-Ming and Ho-Ming in this collection, and long used on its own in Cantonese America
Miriam biblical Hebrew name of uncertain meaning; familiar in Hong Kong through Miriam Yeung and Christian naming
Moses biblical Hebrew Moshe; Exodus associates it with being drawn from water, though its deeper origin is debated
Ngai resolute, determined (毅)
Nicholas victory of the people (Greek Nikolaos); a popular English name in Hong Kong; carried by actor-singer Nicholas Tse
On peace (安)
Pui Pui affectionate repetition of 佩 (pui, 'pendant'; also used for admiration or esteem)
Roman citizen of Rome (Latin); famously borne by Roman Tam, born Tam Pak-sin (譚百先), hailed as the godfather of Cantopop
Sammi spelling variant of Sammy, used as a short form of Samantha or Samuel and strongly familiar in Hong Kong through Sammi Cheng
Sau elegant, outstanding (秀)
Sing-Chi stars racing by (星馳); famously borne by Stephen Chow, comedy filmmaker and star (Kung Fu Hustle, Shaolin Soccer), drawn from Tang poet Wang Bo's prose
Siu a Cantonese syllable worn many ways: most often 小, 'little', the affectionate opener of names like Siu-Ming; the same spelling also renders a family name
Siu Sin varies by characters; 善 kindness or 倩 loveliness are common
Siu-Fung little phoenix (小鳳)
Siu-Lung little dragon (小龍), the Cantonese name by which Bruce Lee became known
Siu-Ming little or small; bright or clear (小明)
Suk gentle, virtuous (淑)
Suk-Yee gentle and dignified (淑儀), a classic older-generation combination
Sum-Yu heart; words, speech, or language (心語)
Sum-Yuet joyful heart (心悅), from the classical phrase sam yuet sing fuk, to be won over with gladness; a favorite for Hong Kong girls born since the 2010s
Tai-Man great literature (大文); a real given name, and as Chan Tai-man it is also Hong Kong's John Doe, the placeholder on every sample form and textbook
Tak virtue, moral character (德)
Tak-Wah virtuous splendor (德華); the Cantonese given name of Andy Lau Tak-wah of the Four Heavenly Kings, whose Andy already sits in this collection. The two entries are one man, which is exactly how the Hong Kong dual-name convention works
Terence English form of the Roman family name Terentius, of unknown meaning
Ting graceful, lovely (婷); the closing element of Yuen-Ting, also standing alone
Tony pet form of Anthony, from the Roman family name Antonius of uncertain meaning; a borrowed English name in Hong Kong, where cinema famously has two Tony Leungs told apart by their Cantonese names Chiu-wai and Ka-fai
Tsz-Ching fragrant angelica; clear sky (芷晴)
Tsz-Hei purple; bright, splendid, or prosperous (紫熙)
Tsz-Hin catalpa tree and loftiness (梓軒); everywhere among Hong Kong boys born in the 2000s and 2010s, the male counterpart to Tsz-Ching's generation of girls
Tsz-Yan fragrant angelica; joy or delight (芷欣)
Vivian from Latin Vivianus and vivus, 'alive'; an established English name in Hong Kong, carried by actor and singer Vivian Chow
Wa splendid or magnificent; Chinese (華)
Wah splendor (華), the wah of Tak-Wah and of old Chinatown paper names; borne by Hollywood designer Wah Ming Chang
Wai greatness (偉) for men, wisdom (慧) for women; the single most common syllable of the 60s-80s Hong Kong generations, opening Wai-Man, Wai-Kit and Wai-Yin in this collection
Wai-Kit great hero (偉傑), a common combination for HK men
Wai-Ling wise jade (慧玲); a signature name of the postwar generation, the aunties and grandmothers of today's Cantonese America
Wai-Man great or mighty; writing, literature, or culture (偉文)
Wai-Yin varies by characters; often 慧賢 wise and virtuous
Wan cloud (雲); a common Cantonese given name evoking grace and drifting beauty
Wilfred from Old English elements meaning desire or will and peace; also established as an English personal name in Hong Kong
Wing glory, honor (榮)
Wing-Sze chant or recite; thought or reflection (詠思)
Wing-Yan chant or recite; grace or kindness (詠恩)
Wing-Yi varies by characters: often 穎怡, clever and content, or 詠儀, graceful song; everywhere among Hong Kong girls born in the 80s and 90s
Yan joy (欣) or grace (恩), two words sharing one spelling; the ending of Ka-Yan, Wing-Yan and Tsz-Yan, and a standalone name
Yat-Sen at ease or unrestrained; immortal (逸仙), the art name associated with Sun Yat-sen
Yee righteousness (義)
Yee-Wah elegant splendor (綺華)
Ying outstanding, brave (英)
Yiu to shine, glow (耀)
Yiu-Ming shining brightness (耀明). The Yiu here is 耀, to shine; the same Hong Kong spelling also renders the surname 姚 (Mandarin Yao), so Yiu turns up in US records as both a given name and a family name
Yuen-Ting graceful and lovely (婉婷)
Yuk-Lam precious jade (玉琳)
Yuk-Ying jade heroine (玉英); a grandmother-generation classic among Cantonese American families
Yun-Fat enriching prosperity (潤發); famously borne by Chow Yun-fat, iconic Hong Kong leading man (A Better Tomorrow, Hard Boiled)
Za a Cantonese short form used as a familiar name, spelled Za or Sa, often with the affectionate prefix 阿 (Ah), as with the singer Charlene Choi, widely known as Ah Sa
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