Chinese Kingdom Name Generator

Historical, legendary and original kingdom names from Chinese history

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Generate Chinese kingdom names for novels, xianxia and wuxia stories, strategy games and worldbuilding: real kingdoms of the Western Regions and the Han princely fiefs, the legendary realms of Journey to the West and the Classic of Mountains and Seas, poetic translated names like the Kingdom of the Azure Dragon, and original pinyin names such as Cangyue and Yunmeng.

About Chinese kingdom names

Chinese kingdoms (guo) take their names from a place, not a ruler. The Zhou-era states were named for the fief where the founding lord was enfeoffed, so Qi, Chu, Yan and Zhao are all originally place names, and when later emperors carved out princely kingdoms for their sons they simply used the commandery: the Kingdom of Huainan, the Kingdom of Changsha, the Kingdom of Langya. Frontier kingdoms kept their own names, transcribed into Chinese, which is why the Silk Road gives you Loulan, Kucha, Khotan and Dayuan, and the southwest gives Dian, Yelang, Nanzhao and Dali. Historical names are one or two syllables and sound like map labels, because they are.

Legend and fiction work differently. Journey to the West passes through the Kingdom of Chechi, the Kingdom of Biqiu and the Women's Kingdom of Xiliang; the Classic of Mountains and Seas lists the Kingdom of Junzi, Guanxiong and dozens more named for their inhabitants; Daoist geography supplies Penglai, Kunlun and the Peach Blossom Spring. Xianxia and palace dramas invent two-character names from auspicious or scenic words (Cangyue, Lingxiao, Yunmeng, Beiyuan) that read like a poem title.

This list gives all of those layers, plus English-rendered names in the same spirit (the Kingdom of the Nine Rivers, the Kingdom of the Snow Lotus) for stories that need a translated feel.

How to choose Chinese kingdom names

  • Decide whether your kingdom is named in pinyin or in translation and stay consistent across the map: Cangyue, Beimo and Lingnan together read as one world; Cangyue next to the Kingdom of the Silver Sands reads as two.
  • For a historical or Three Kingdoms-style setting, borrow the real pattern of naming a kingdom after its capital commandery (Kingdom of Pengcheng, Kingdom of Jiangxia); it makes a made-up fief sound like it came out of the Book of Han.
  • Xianxia-style names work best when the two characters form an image: Cangyue (grey-blue moon), Yunmeng (cloud dream), Xuehai (sea of snow). Avoid pairing two abstract virtue words, which sounds like an era name rather than a place.
  • Directional prefixes (Northern, Southern, Western, Eastern) are how Chinese history distinguishes rival states with the same name; use one or two for realism, not on every kingdom.
  • Legendary names from Journey to the West and the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Qingqiu, Guixu, the Kingdom of Junzi) carry specific associations for readers who know the sources, so check what the original says before you borrow one.

Frequently asked questions

What were the ancient Chinese kingdoms called?

The Warring States were Qin, Chu, Qi, Yan, Zhao, Wei and Han, with smaller states like Lu, Song, Zheng and Zhongshan. The Han dynasty created dozens of princely kingdoms named after commanderies, such as Huainan, Changsha, Liang, Zhao and Langya. The Three Kingdoms were Cao Wei, Shu Han and Eastern Wu, and the Silk Road oasis kingdoms included Loulan, Kucha, Khotan, Kashgar and Gaochang. All of these are in the list.

How do I make an original Chinese kingdom name sound authentic?

Use one or two syllables in standard pinyin, built from real place-name morphemes: directions (bei, nan, dong, xi), terrain (shan, hai, chuan, ling, zhou), colours (qing, cang, bai, zi) and weather or sky words (yun, xue, tian, yue). Cangzhou, Lingnan, Xuehai and Beiyuan all follow that rule. Then give it a capital city and a river so it sits in the geography rather than floating.

Are these names suitable for xianxia or cultivation novels?

Yes. The pinyin originals (Lingxiao, Xuanji, Cangqing, Zixiao) and the Daoist realms (Penglai, Kunlun, Yaochi, Yuxu) are exactly the register cultivation stories use for mortal kingdoms and immortal domains. Pair a mortal kingdom like Yunmeng with a sect or mountain name from the xianxia name generator for a complete setting.

Can I use these for games like Rise of Kingdoms, Total War or Civilization?

Yes. The historical entries suit any strategy game with a Chinese faction list, and the short originals fit character limits for custom faction or city names. For a fictional campaign, mix one or two real names with originals so players cannot guess the map from history.

Related generators

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All 500 Chinese kingdom names

This is the complete list the generator above draws its random batches from, sorted A to Z and grouped by first letter.

Plain text, one name per line.

B: 4 names

  • Beiliang Kingdom
  • Beimo Kingdom
  • Beiyuan Kingdom
  • Bingzhou Kingdom

C: 5 names

  • Cangwu Kingdom
  • Cangyue Kingdom
  • Cangzhou Kingdom
  • Cao Wei
  • Changle Kingdom

D: 1 name

  • Dongling Kingdom

E: 1 name

  • Eastern Wu

F: 1 name

  • Former Shu

G: 1 name

  • Guanzhong Kingdom

H: 4 names

  • Hanzhong Kingdom
  • Hexi Kingdom
  • Huaibei Kingdom
  • Huaiyin Kingdom

J: 10 names

  • Jiangdong Kingdom
  • Jiangling Kingdom
  • Jiangnan Kingdom
  • Jiaozhi Kingdom
  • Jinghu Kingdom
  • Jingnan
  • Jingzhou Kingdom
  • Jinhua Kingdom
  • Jinyang Kingdom
  • Jizhou Kingdom

K: 411 names

  • Kingdom Beneath the Clouds
  • Kingdom Between the Rivers
  • Kingdom Beyond the Passes
  • Kingdom of a Hundred Bridges
  • Kingdom of Anding
  • Kingdom of Anle
  • Kingdom of Anning
  • Kingdom of Anping
  • Kingdom of Aolai
  • Kingdom of Ba
  • Kingdom of Badong
  • Kingdom of Baidi
  • Kingdom of Baiyue
  • Kingdom of Baiyun
  • Kingdom of Baoxiang
  • Kingdom of Baxi
  • Kingdom of Beihai
  • Kingdom of Beiming
  • Kingdom of Bianliang
  • Kingdom of Biqiu
  • Kingdom of Biyou
  • Kingdom of Bofu
  • Kingdom of Bohai
  • Kingdom of Boling
  • Kingdom of Buzhou
  • Kingdom of Cai
  • Kingdom of Cangqiong
  • Kingdom of Chang'an
  • Kingdom of Changbi
  • Kingdom of Changgu
  • Kingdom of Changping
  • Kingdom of Changsha
  • Kingdom of Changshan
  • Kingdom of Chaozhou
  • Kingdom of Chechi
  • Kingdom of Chen
  • Kingdom of Chengdu

K, continued

  • Kingdom of Chengyang
  • Kingdom of Chenliu
  • Kingdom of Chixia
  • Kingdom of Chouchi
  • Kingdom of Chu
  • Kingdom of Cuiping
  • Kingdom of Dahuang
  • Kingdom of Dai
  • Kingdom of Dali
  • Kingdom of Danxue
  • Kingdom of Danyang
  • Kingdom of Daren
  • Kingdom of Datong
  • Kingdom of Dayuan
  • Kingdom of Deqing
  • Kingdom of Dian
  • Kingdom of Dong'ou
  • Kingdom of Donghai
  • Kingdom of Donghuang
  • Kingdom of Donglai
  • Kingdom of Dongping
  • Kingdom of Dongting
  • Kingdom of Dongyang
  • Kingdom of Emei
  • Kingdom of Erhai
  • Kingdom of Fangling
  • Kingdom of Fangzhang
  • Kingdom of Fanyang
  • Kingdom of Fenghuang
  • Kingdom of Fenglin
  • Kingdom of Fuling
  • Kingdom of Fusang
  • Kingdom of Fuxing
  • Kingdom of Fuzhou
  • Kingdom of Ganjiang
  • Kingdom of Ganling
  • Kingdom of Gaochang

K, continued

  • Kingdom of Gaomi
  • Kingdom of Gaoping
  • Kingdom of Guanghan
  • Kingdom of Guangling
  • Kingdom of Guangping
  • Kingdom of Guangzhou
  • Kingdom of Guanxiong
  • Kingdom of Guifang
  • Kingdom of Guixu
  • Kingdom of Guiyang
  • Kingdom of Han
  • Kingdom of Hanguang
  • Kingdom of Hangzhou
  • Kingdom of Hanshui
  • Kingdom of Heaven's Gate
  • Kingdom of Hedong
  • Kingdom of Heichi
  • Kingdom of Hejian
  • Kingdom of Hengshan
  • Kingdom of Hepu
  • Kingdom of Hongnong
  • Kingdom of Huaguo
  • Kingdom of Huainan
  • Kingdom of Huangshan
  • Kingdom of Huantou
  • Kingdom of Huashan
  • Kingdom of Jiahe
  • Kingdom of Jialing
  • Kingdom of Jian'an
  • Kingdom of Jiangdu
  • Kingdom of Jiange
  • Kingdom of Jiangxia
  • Kingdom of Jiankang
  • Kingdom of Jianning
  • Kingdom of Jianwei
  • Kingdom of Jianye
  • Kingdom of Jiaodong
  • Kingdom of Jiaojing

K, continued

  • Kingdom of Jiaoxi
  • Kingdom of Jibei
  • Kingdom of Jinan
  • Kingdom of Jincheng
  • Kingdom of Jinchuan
  • Kingdom of Jinling
  • Kingdom of Jisai
  • Kingdom of Jiuhua
  • Kingdom of Jiujiang
  • Kingdom of Jiyin
  • Kingdom of Ju
  • Kingdom of Julu
  • Kingdom of Junzi
  • Kingdom of Jushi
  • Kingdom of Juyongguan
  • Kingdom of Kangju
  • Kingdom of Karasahr
  • Kingdom of Kashgar
  • Kingdom of Khotan
  • Kingdom of Kuafu
  • Kingdom of Kuaiji
  • Kingdom of Kucha
  • Kingdom of Kunlun
  • Kingdom of Lancang
  • Kingdom of Langfeng
  • Kingdom of Langya
  • Kingdom of Lanhai
  • Kingdom of Laomin
  • Kingdom of Le'an
  • Kingdom of Liang
  • Kingdom of Liaodong
  • Kingdom of Lijiang
  • Kingdom of Lin'an
  • Kingdom of Linchuan
  • Kingdom of Lingling
  • Kingdom of Lingshan
  • Kingdom of Linhai

K, continued

  • Kingdom of Linhuai
  • Kingdom of Linjiang
  • Kingdom of Linzi
  • Kingdom of Longmen
  • Kingdom of Longquan
  • Kingdom of Loulan
  • Kingdom of Lu
  • Kingdom of Lu'an
  • Kingdom of Lujiang
  • Kingdom of Luling
  • Kingdom of Luofu
  • Kingdom of Luoshui
  • Kingdom of Luoyang
  • Kingdom of Luoyue
  • Kingdom of Lushan
  • Kingdom of Maomin
  • Kingdom of Miefa
  • Kingdom of Min
  • Kingdom of Mingsha
  • Kingdom of Mingyu
  • Kingdom of Minjiang
  • Kingdom of Minyue
  • Kingdom of Moyu
  • Kingdom of Nanhai
  • Kingdom of Nanyang
  • Kingdom of Nanyue
  • Kingdom of Nanzhao
  • Kingdom of Ningbo
  • Kingdom of Nüzi
  • Kingdom of Ouyue
  • Kingdom of Pei
  • Kingdom of Pengcheng
  • Kingdom of Penglai
  • Kingdom of Pingyang
  • Kingdom of Pingyuan
  • Kingdom of Poyang
  • Kingdom of Putuo

K, continued

  • Kingdom of Qi
  • Kingdom of Qiancheng
  • Kingdom of Qiantang
  • Kingdom of Qiao
  • Kingdom of Qilian
  • Kingdom of Qin
  • Kingdom of Qingcheng
  • Kingdom of Qingfeng
  • Kingdom of Qinghe
  • Kingdom of Qingqiu
  • Kingdom of Qingtian
  • Kingdom of Qingxu
  • Kingdom of Qinling
  • Kingdom of Qiongzhou
  • Kingdom of Quanrong
  • Kingdom of Quanzhou
  • Kingdom of Rencheng
  • Kingdom of Renhe
  • Kingdom of Ruihe
  • Kingdom of Runan
  • Kingdom of Ruoshui
  • Kingdom of Sanmiao
  • Kingdom of Shangdang
  • Kingdom of Shangyong
  • Kingdom of Shanhaiguan
  • Kingdom of Shanshan
  • Kingdom of Shanyang
  • Kingdom of Shanyue
  • Kingdom of Shenmu
  • Kingdom of Shouchang
  • Kingdom of Shouchun
  • Kingdom of Shu
  • Kingdom of Shuangxi
  • Kingdom of Shunchang
  • Kingdom of Song
  • Kingdom of Songhua
  • Kingdom of Songshan
  • Kingdom of Suzhou

K, continued

  • Kingdom of Taihang
  • Kingdom of Taihe
  • Kingdom of Taihu
  • Kingdom of Taishan
  • Kingdom of Taiyuan
  • Kingdom of Taizhou
  • Kingdom of Tanggu
  • Kingdom of Taohuayuan
  • Kingdom of Ten Thousand Pines
  • Kingdom of Ten Thousand Springs
  • Kingdom of Teng
  • Kingdom of the Amber Gate
  • Kingdom of the Autumn Moon
  • Kingdom of the Azure Dragon
  • Kingdom of the Bamboo Sea
  • Kingdom of the Black Jade
  • Kingdom of the Black Pines
  • Kingdom of the Black Tortoise
  • Kingdom of the Broken Wall
  • Kingdom of the Bronze Bells
  • Kingdom of the Burning Plain
  • Kingdom of the Chrysanthemum Court
  • Kingdom of the Cinnabar Hills
  • Kingdom of the Cloud Gate
  • Kingdom of the Cold Peaks
  • Kingdom of the Copper Road
  • Kingdom of the Coral Shoals
  • Kingdom of the Crane Marsh
  • Kingdom of the Crimson Clouds
  • Kingdom of the Crooked River
  • Kingdom of the Dragon's Spine
  • Kingdom of the Drifting Willows
  • Kingdom of the Eastern Mist
  • Kingdom of the Ferry Crossing
  • Kingdom of the First Frost
  • Kingdom of the Five Terraces
  • Kingdom of the Golden Plain

K, continued

  • Kingdom of the Green Jade
  • Kingdom of the Grey Heron
  • Kingdom of the Hidden Dragon
  • Kingdom of the High Cedars
  • Kingdom of the Hundred Valleys
  • Kingdom of the Iron Gorge
  • Kingdom of the Jade Gate
  • Kingdom of the Jade Terrace
  • Kingdom of the Lantern Coast
  • Kingdom of the Last Pass
  • Kingdom of the Loess Cliffs
  • Kingdom of the Long River
  • Kingdom of the Lotus Marsh
  • Kingdom of the Misty Gorge
  • Kingdom of the Morning Star
  • Kingdom of the Mulberry Groves
  • Kingdom of the Night Heron
  • Kingdom of the Nine Rivers
  • Kingdom of the Northern Steppe
  • Kingdom of the Orchid Valley
  • Kingdom of the Painted Walls
  • Kingdom of the Pearl River
  • Kingdom of the Peony Throne
  • Kingdom of the Phoenix Roost
  • Kingdom of the Plum Rains
  • Kingdom of the Pole Star
  • Kingdom of the Quiet Marsh
  • Kingdom of the Rain-Washed Hills
  • Kingdom of the Red Cliffs
  • Kingdom of the Rising Sun Gate
  • Kingdom of the Salt Marshes
  • Kingdom of the Scholar's Rock
  • Kingdom of the Setting Sun
  • Kingdom of the Seven Passes
  • Kingdom of the Seven Stars
  • Kingdom of the Shifting Sands
  • Kingdom of the Silver Sands

K, continued

  • Kingdom of the Singing Sands
  • Kingdom of the Six Rivers
  • Kingdom of the Sleeping Phoenix
  • Kingdom of the Snow Lotus
  • Kingdom of the Southern Sea
  • Kingdom of the Spice Coast
  • Kingdom of the Spring Tide
  • Kingdom of the Stone Forest
  • Kingdom of the Sunken Bell
  • Kingdom of the Sunlit Dunes
  • Kingdom of the Tea Hills
  • Kingdom of the Thousand Lakes
  • Kingdom of the Thousand Steps
  • Kingdom of the Three Gorges
  • Kingdom of the Tiger's Mouth
  • Kingdom of the Twin Pagodas
  • Kingdom of the Vermilion Bird
  • Kingdom of the Weeping Cypress
  • Kingdom of the Western Marches
  • Kingdom of the White Crane
  • Kingdom of the White Jade
  • Kingdom of the White Tiger
  • Kingdom of the Wild Geese
  • Kingdom of the Willow Banks
  • Kingdom of the Winter Gate
  • Kingdom of the Yellow Dragon
  • Kingdom of Tiangu
  • Kingdom of Tianmen
  • Kingdom of Tianshan
  • Kingdom of Tianzhu
  • Kingdom of Tongguan
  • Kingdom of Tungning
  • Kingdom of Tuyuhun
  • Kingdom of Wangchuan
  • Kingdom of Wei
  • Kingdom of Wenshan
  • Kingdom of Wenzhou
  • Kingdom of Wu

K, continued

  • Kingdom of Wuchang
  • Kingdom of Wudang
  • Kingdom of Wudu
  • Kingdom of Wuji
  • Kingdom of Wushan
  • Kingdom of Wusun
  • Kingdom of Wutai
  • Kingdom of Wuyi
  • Kingdom of Wuyuan
  • Kingdom of Wuyue
  • Kingdom of Xiangping
  • Kingdom of Xiaoren
  • Kingdom of Xiapi
  • Kingdom of Xin'an
  • Kingdom of Xincai
  • Kingdom of Xinchang
  • Kingdom of Xindu
  • Kingdom of Xingyang
  • Kingdom of Xiqi
  • Kingdom of Xu
  • Kingdom of Xuangu
  • Kingdom of Xuanpu
  • Kingdom of Xuantian
  • Kingdom of Xue
  • Kingdom of Xueling
  • Kingdom of Yan
  • Kingdom of Yangguan
  • Kingdom of Yanhuo
  • Kingdom of Yanjing
  • Kingdom of Yanmen
  • Kingdom of Yanshan
  • Kingdom of Yaochi
  • Kingdom of Yarkand
  • Kingdom of Yecheng
  • Kingdom of Yelang
  • Kingdom of Yingchuan
  • Kingdom of Yingtian

K, continued

  • Kingdom of Yingzhou
  • Kingdom of Yinping
  • Kingdom of Yinshan
  • Kingdom of Yiyang
  • Kingdom of Yongan
  • Kingdom of Yongchang
  • Kingdom of Yongfeng
  • Kingdom of Yongjia
  • Kingdom of Yongkang
  • Kingdom of Yongping
  • Kingdom of Youdu
  • Kingdom of Yue
  • Kingdom of Yuexi
  • Kingdom of Yuhua
  • Kingdom of Yulin
  • Kingdom of Yumen
  • Kingdom of Yumin
  • Kingdom of Yunlan
  • Kingdom of Yunxiao
  • Kingdom of Yunzhong
  • Kingdom of Yuquan
  • Kingdom of Yuxu
  • Kingdom of Yuzhang
  • Kingdom of Zangke
  • Kingdom of Zhangfu
  • Kingdom of Zhao
  • Kingdom of Zhending
  • Kingdom of Zheng
  • Kingdom of Zhongnan
  • Kingdom of Zhongshan
  • Kingdom of Zhuti
  • Kingdom of Zhuzi
  • Kingdom of Zichuan
  • Kingdom of Zilan
  • Kingdom of Zitong
  • Kingdom of Zixiao
  • Kingdom Under the Jade Mountain
  • Kingdom Without Walls

L: 7 names

  • Lanling Kingdom
  • Later Shu
  • Lingnan Kingdom
  • Lingxiao Kingdom
  • Longxi Kingdom
  • Longxing Kingdom
  • Luojiang Kingdom

M: 1 name

  • Ma Chu

N: 4 names

  • Nanjiang Kingdom
  • Nanxiang Kingdom
  • Ningguo Kingdom
  • Northern Han

Q: 3 names

  • Qianyuan Kingdom
  • Qingyuan Kingdom
  • Qingzhou Kingdom

R: 21 names

  • Realm of Bishui
  • Realm of Chunfeng
  • Realm of Cuiwei
  • Realm of Haitang
  • Realm of Mudan
  • Realm of Qingshan
  • Realm of Qiushui
  • Realm of Songfeng
  • Realm of Taohua
  • Realm of Ten Thousand Immortals
  • Realm of the Celestial Court
  • Realm of the Cloud Terrace
  • Realm of the Dragon King
  • Realm of the Eastern Sea
  • Realm of the Four Seas
  • Realm of the Jade Emperor
  • Realm of the Peach Blossom Spring
  • Realm of the Queen Mother of the West
  • Realm of the Yellow Springs
  • Realm of Zhulin
  • Ruyang Kingdom

S: 5 names

  • Shengping Kingdom
  • Shu Han
  • Shuofang Kingdom
  • Southern Han
  • Southern Tang

T: 2 names

  • Tianlan Kingdom
  • Tianshui Kingdom

W: 2 names

  • Western Chu
  • Wuling Kingdom

X: 5 names

  • Xiangyang Kingdom
  • Xiliang Kingdom
  • Xiliang Women's Kingdom
  • Xuanji Kingdom
  • Xuzhou Kingdom

Y: 11 names

  • Yang Wu
  • Yangzhou Kingdom
  • Yizhou Kingdom
  • Yongle Kingdom
  • Yongning Kingdom
  • Yongzhou Kingdom
  • Youzhou Kingdom
  • Yuanfeng Kingdom
  • Yuanhe Kingdom
  • Yunmeng Kingdom
  • Yunzhou Kingdom

Z: 1 name

  • Zhaoyang Kingdom