Chinese Dynasty Name Generator
Dynasty and state names from Xia to Qing, plus originals
Generate Chinese dynasty names that follow the real naming logic of imperial China: every historical dynasty and kingdom from Xia to Qing, the Sixteen Kingdoms and Ten Kingdoms, Warring States names, plus original dynasties like Great Yong and Northern Xuan for novels, xianxia and strategy games.
About Chinese dynasty names
Chinese dynasties are named for the state, not the family. A founder took a single-character state name, usually from the fief or title he held before seizing power (Han, Tang, Song, Qi, Liang) or from an auspicious word (Yuan, 'origin'; Ming, 'bright'; Qing, 'pure'), and the ruling house was the Liu of Han or the Li of Tang. Officially the name carried the prefix Da, 'Great', so the Ming called itself Da Ming, which is why fictional dynasties in Chinese novels are usually Great Liang, Great Zhou or Great Yong. Later historians added directions and sequence to tell repeats apart: Western and Eastern Han, Northern and Southern Song, Former and Later Qin, the five Liangs of the Sixteen Kingdoms, and Cao Wei or Xiao Liang when the clan surname is needed.
Because the state names recycle old Zhou-era fiefs, the same handful reappear for two thousand years: Qin, Zhao, Wei, Qi, Yan, Chu, Wu and Yue were Warring States before they were imperial dynasties, and rebel regimes such as Huang Chao's Great Qi and An Lushan's Great Yan borrowed them too. This list gives every historical dynasty and regional kingdom, then original names built the same way: single auspicious characters with Great, directional or Former/Later prefixes, clan-plus-state forms like Gongsun Yan, and two-character names in the xianxia register.
How to choose Chinese dynasty names
- Use one character for the state and let historians add the rest: your dynasty is Yong, and only after it falls does it become Former Yong, Northern Yong or Great Yong in the chronicles.
- Pick a character that was a fief or a virtue, not a random pretty word; real founders chose Han, Tang and Song because those were their noble titles, and Ming, Qing and Yuan for their meanings.
- Give the founding clan a separate surname so you can write Li Tang or Zhao Song style pairings, and so a later rebel can revive the state name under a different house.
- For a divided-China setting, reuse one state name across rivals with directional prefixes (Northern Wei versus Western Wei) instead of inventing a new name for every faction.
- Do not confuse era names with dynasty names: Kangxi, Wanli and Zhenguan are reign periods, while Qing, Ming and Tang are the dynasties that used them.
Frequently asked questions
How did Chinese dynasties get their names?
Most took the name of the founder's earlier fief or title: Liu Bang was King of Han, Li Yuan was Duke of Tang, Zhao Kuangyin governed Songzhou. From the Yuan onward founders chose meaningful words instead: Yuan means origin, Ming means bright, Qing means pure. The official form added Da, 'Great', as in Da Ming.
Why are there Northern, Southern, Former and Later versions of the same dynasty?
Because the same state names were reused again and again, historians distinguish them by the capital's location or their order in time. Western and Eastern Han were one line with different capitals, Northern and Southern Song the same, while Former Yan, Later Yan, Northern Yan, Southern Yan and Western Yan were separate Sixteen Kingdoms states that all claimed the old name Yan.
What makes a fictional Chinese dynasty name sound right?
Keep it to one auspicious or geographic character (Yong, Sheng, Xuan, Jing, Heng) and write it as Great X in formal use, optionally with a directional or Former/Later prefix. Names such as Great Liang, Great Zhou and Northern Yan are used by popular dramas and novels precisely because they follow the historical pattern.
What is the difference between a dynasty, a kingdom and a state in Chinese history?
A dynasty is a ruling house that claimed the imperial title over all China, such as Tang or Ming. A kingdom or state (guo) was a regional power whose ruler used the title king, as with Wuyue and Min in the Ten Kingdoms or the Warring States before unification. The same name, Chu for instance, can be a Zhou-era state, a Ten Kingdoms kingdom and a rebel dynasty at different times.
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All 500 Chinese dynasty names
A: 2 names
- Aisin Gioro Qing
- Anning Dynasty
B: 6 names
- Baiyun Dynasty
- Beichen Dynasty
- Beitang Qi
- Beitang Wu
- Bohai
- Borjigin Yuan
C: 17 names
- Cangwu Dynasty
- Cangyun Dynasty
- Cao Wei
- Chai Zhou
- Changle Dynasty
- Changshan of Zhang Er
- Chaoyang Dynasty
- Chen Dynasty
- Cheng Han
- Cheng of Li Xiong
- Chengjia of Gongsun Shu
- Chengtian Dynasty
- Chouchi
- Chu of Lin Shihong
- Chu of Yu Wenlong
- Chu of Zhang Bangchang
- Chu of Zhu Can
D: 13 names
- Dacheng Kingdom
- Dai Kingdom
- Dali Kingdom
- Dian Kingdom
- Dingyuan Dynasty
- Dong'ou
- Dongfang Liang
- Dongfang Xia
- Dongli Dynasty
- Duan Dali
- Duan Qi
- Duanmu Song
- Dugu Qi
E: 14 names
- Eastern Han
- Eastern Heng
- Eastern Hong
- Eastern Jin
- Eastern Kai
- Eastern Liao
- Eastern Wei
- Eastern Wen
- Eastern Wu
- Eastern Xia
- Eastern Xiang
- Eastern Zhou
- Eastern Zhuang
- Empire of China
F: 19 names
- Feng Yan
- Fengtian Dynasty
- Former Bai
- Former Chang
- Former Jing
- Former Li
- Former Liang
- Former Lu
- Former Mei
- Former Mo
- Former Ping
- Former Qin
- Former Qiong
- Former Rong
- Former Ruo
- Former Shu
- Former Teng
- Former Yan
- Fu Qin
G: 72 names
- Gao Jingnan
- Gao Qi
- Gengshi Han
- Gongsun Yan
- Gongxi Wu
- Gongyang Chu
- Great Chen
- Great Cheng
- Great Chu
- Great De
- Great Ding
- Great Feng
- Great Guang
- Great Hai
- Great Han
- Great Han of Chen Youliang
- Great Heng
- Great Hong
- Great Hong of Chen Shouyi
- Great Hua
- Great Jin
- Great Jing
- Great Kang
- Great Kun
- Great Lan
- Great Liang
- Great Liao
- Great Lin
- Great Long
- Great Ming
- Great Ning
- Great Qi
- Great Qi of Huang Chao
- Great Qian
- Great Qin
- Great Qing
G, continued
- Great Ren
- Great Rui
- Great Shan
- Great Sheng
- Great Sheng of Wei Changping
- Great Shu
- Great Shun
- Great Song
- Great Sui
- Great Tai
- Great Tang
- Great Tian
- Great Wei
- Great Wei of Xiahou Rui
- Great Wu
- Great Xia
- Great Xia of Ming Yuzhen
- Great Xin
- Great Xuan
- Great Yan
- Great Yan of An Lushan
- Great Yin
- Great Yong
- Great Yuan
- Great Yue of Liu Yan
- Great Yun
- Great Zhao
- Great Zhen
- Great Zhong
- Great Zhou
- Great Zhou of Wu Sangui
- Great Zhou of Xiao Tingsheng
- Great Zhou of Zhang Shicheng
- Great Zi
- Guangde Dynasty
- Guo Zhou
H: 15 names
- Han Dynasty
- Han of Hou Jing
- Han of Li Shou
- Han of Liu Penzi
- Han Zhao
- Haotian Dynasty
- Helian Xia
- Helian Yan
- Henan of Shen Yang
- Heng of Lu Jingming
- Hengshan of Wu Rui
- Hongde Dynasty
- Huangfu Liang
- Huangfu Yan
- Huaxia Dynasty
J: 13 names
- Jiaodong of Tian Shi
- Jibei of Tian An
- Jin Dynasty
- Jin Dynasty of the Jurchens
- Jin of Sima Jingde
- Jing of Cui Yuanqing
- Jinghong Dynasty
- Jingnan
- Jingyan Dynasty
- Jinyang Dynasty
- Jiujiang of Ying Bu
- Jiuzhou Dynasty
- Juqu Liang
K: 21 names
- Kang of Pei Zhongxian
- Kingdom of Beihai
- Kingdom of Cangzhou
- Kingdom of Changsha
- Kingdom of Donglai
- Kingdom of Hanzhong
- Kingdom of Huainan
- Kingdom of Jiangling
- Kingdom of Liang under Liu Wu
- Kingdom of Lingnan
- Kingdom of Nanling
- Kingdom of Pingyang
- Kingdom of Qi under Liu Fei
- Kingdom of Tungning
- Kingdom of Wu under Liu Pi
- Kingdom of Xihe
- Kingdom of Yan under Lu Wan
- Kingdom of Yuezhou
- Kingdom of Yunmeng
- Kingdom of Zhao under Liu Sui
- Kingdom of Zhongshan under Liu Sheng
L: 45 names
- Lanling Dynasty
- Later Bian
- Later Fan
- Later Ge
- Later Han
- Later He
- Later Hui
- Later Jin
- Later Jin of the Manchus
- Later Kuang
- Later Lang
- Later Liang
- Later Liang of Lu Guang
- Later Liao
- Later Pei
- Later Qin
- Later Qu
- Later Shu
- Later Tang
- Later Xuan
- Later Yan
- Later Ye
- Later Yi
- Later Zhao
- Later Zhou
- Li Cheng
- Li Liang
- Li Tang
- Liang Dynasty
- Liang of Li Gui
- Liang of Liang Shidu
- Liang of Lin Chang'an
- Liang of Shen Faxing
- Liang of Xiao Xian
- Liao Dynasty
- Liaodong of Han Guang
- Linghu Wei
- Linghu Zhao
- Lingxiao Dynasty
- Linjiang of Gong Ao
- Liu Han of Guangzhou
- Liu Song
- Liu Zhao
- Longquan Dynasty
- Lü Liang
M: 9 names
- Ma Chu
- Manchukuo
- Meng Nanzhao
- Meng Shu
- Min Kingdom
- Ming Dynasty
- Minyue
- Murong Liang
- Murong Yan
N: 24 names
- Nangong Han
- Nangong Yan
- Nanhuang Dynasty
- Nanyue
- Nanzhao
- Ning of Shen Huaiyu
- Ningguo Dynasty
- Northern Chun
- Northern Han
- Northern Jue
- Northern Kang
- Northern Liang
- Northern Liao
- Northern Qi
- Northern Shou
- Northern Song
- Northern Su
- Northern Wei
- Northern Xuan
- Northern Yan
- Northern Yao
- Northern Yong
- Northern Yuan
- Northern Zhou
O: 2 names
- Ouyang Xia
- Ouyang Zhou
P: 1 name
- Pingnan Kingdom
Q: 14 names
- Qi of Gongsun Yue
- Qi of Li Maozhen
- Qi of Liu Yu
- Qi of Tian Du
- Qian Wuyue
- Qiao Shu
- Qifu Qin
- Qin Dynasty
- Qin of Xue Ju
- Qing Dynasty
- Qinghe Dynasty
- Qingyuan Dynasty
- Qingyun Dynasty
- Qu Gaochang
R: 3 names
- Ran Wei
- Ruihe Dynasty
- Ruiyang Dynasty
S: 111 names
- Sai of Sima Xin
- Shang Dynasty
- Shangguan Chu
- Shangguan Qi
- Shanhai Dynasty
- Shatuo Tang
- Shengming Dynasty
- Shengwu Dynasty
- Shi Jin
- Shi Zhao
- Shu Han
- Shu of Li Shun
- Shun Dynasty
- Sima Chen
- Sima Jin
- Situ Chu
- Situ Liang
- Song Dynasty
- Song of Fu Gongshi
- Song of Han Lin'er
- Southern Bo
- Southern Gao
- Southern Gui
- Southern Han
- Southern Jing
- Southern Liang
- Southern Lie
- Southern Ming
- Southern Qi
- Southern Qiu
- Southern Sheng
- Southern Song
- Southern Tang
- Southern Yan
- State of Ba
- State of Bei
- State of Bi
- State of Cai
- State of Cao
- State of Chen
- State of Cheng
- State of Chu
- State of Dao
- State of Deng
- State of Dun
- State of Fan
- State of Fei
- State of Geng
- State of Gong
- State of Gu
- State of Guan
- State of Guo
- State of Han
- State of Hu
- State of Hua
S, continued
- State of Huang
- State of Huo
- State of Ji
- State of Jiang
- State of Jiao
- State of Jin
- State of Ju
- State of Kuai
- State of Kui
- State of Lai
- State of Li
- State of Liao
- State of Liu
- State of Lu
- State of Luo
- State of Mao
- State of Ni
- State of Pi
- State of Qi
- State of Qin
- State of Quan
- State of Rui
- State of Shao
- State of Shen
- State of Shu
- State of Song
- State of Su
- State of Sui
- State of Tan
- State of Tang
- State of Teng
- State of Wei
- State of Wen
- State of Wey
- State of Wu
- State of Xi
- State of Xiang
- State of Xiao
- State of Xing
- State of Xu
- State of Xue
- State of Yan
- State of Yang
- State of Ying
- State of Yong
- State of Yu
- State of Yue
- State of Zeng
- State of Zhai
- State of Zhao
- State of Zheng
- State of Zhu
- State of Zhuan
- State of Zou
- Sui Dynasty
- Sun Wu
T: 13 names
- Taiping Heavenly Kingdom
- Taixu Dynasty
- Tang Dynasty
- Tangut Xia
- Tianlan Dynasty
- Tianqing Dynasty
- Tianwan
- Tianxing Dynasty
- Tufa Liang
- Tuoba Wei
- Tuoba Xia
- Tuoba Yan
- Tuyuhun
W: 28 names
- Wang Min
- Wang Shu
- Wanxiang Dynasty
- Wanyan Jin
- Wei of Li Mi
- Wenming Dynasty
- Wenren Song
- Western Chu
- Western Fu
- Western Han
- Western Huan
- Western Jin
- Western Liang
- Western Liang of Xiao Cha
- Western Liao
- Western Mu
- Western Ning
- Western Qin
- Western Tong
- Western Wei
- Western Wei of Wei Bao
- Western Xia
- Western Yan
- Western Zhou
- Wu of Li Zitong
- Wu of Zhu Yuanzhang
- Wu Zhou
- Wuyue
X: 15 names
- Xi Dynasty
- Xia Dynasty
- Xia of Dou Jiande
- Xiahou Qi
- Xiahou Zhao
- Xiao Liang
- Xiao Qi
- Xiling Dynasty
- Ximen Qin
- Ximen Zhou
- Xin Dynasty
- Xu of Yuwen Huaji
- Xuan of Gu Yanzhao
- Xuantian Dynasty
- Xuanwu Dynasty
Y: 24 names
- Yan of Gao Kaidao
- Yan of Gongsun Yuan
- Yan of Liu Shouguang
- Yan of Murong Xuanlie
- Yan of Zang Tu
- Yang Sui
- Yang Wu
- Yao Qin
- Yelang
- Yelü Liao
- Yin of Wang Yanzheng
- Yong of Li Guangbi
- Yong of Zhang Han
- Yongheng Dynasty
- Yongle of Fang La
- Yuan Dynasty
- Yuchi Han
- Yuchi Zhou
- Yuelong Dynasty
- Yuheng Dynasty
- Yunhai Dynasty
- Yunxiao Dynasty
- Yuwen Liang
- Yuwen Zhou