Emily in Chinese
How to write Emily in Chinese, how to say it, and real Chinese names that sound like it.
Emily, written by sound
埃米莉
Āimǐlì
- 埃āi“dust”
- 米mǐ“rice”
- 莉lì“jasmine”
This is how Emily is written by sound: in the news, on maps and in translated books. Each character is there for its sound, so their meanings don't add up to anything.
You'll also see 艾米莉, the everyday spelling.
- Emily Brontë, who wrote Wuthering Heights, is 艾米莉·勃朗特 in Chinese.
But it isn't a Chinese name. Chinese parents choose a name for what it means, like the ones below.
Real Chinese names that sound like Emily
Each one echoes the sound of Emily and means something good on its own. Tap the buttons to hear a character, watch it written, or write it yourself.
Classic name
茉莉Mòlì
jasmine
mò
jasmine
艹plantmeaning末mòsound
末 is said mò too.
lì
jasmine
艹plantmeaning利lìsound
利 is said lì too.
Classic name
美莉Měilì
beautiful jasmine
měi
beautiful
羊sheep大big
Commonly explained as a big sheep, once the finest thing you could have: good, and so beautiful.
lì
jasmine
艹plantmeaning利lìsound
利 is said lì too.
Classic name
怡美Yíměi
joyful and beautiful
yí
joyful, harmonious
忄heartmeaning台táisound
台 (tái) sounded closer in older Chinese.
měi
beautiful
羊sheep大big
Commonly explained as a big sheep, once the finest thing you could have: good, and so beautiful.
Stroke order follows the mainland China standard; a few characters are written differently in Taiwan.
Get your own Chinese name
Emily, get eight real names in the style you like (classic, poetic, wuxia…) and pick the one that feels like you. It takes a minute.
How Chinese names work
The family name comes first, and it is almost always one character: 王 Wáng, 李 Lǐ, 林 Lín. A few have two, like 欧阳 Ōuyáng.
The given name follows: one or two characters, chosen for what they mean. A virtue, a flower, a wish from the parents.
So with a family name in front, 茉莉 becomes a full name such as 林茉莉 (Lín Mòlì).
About the name Emily
In the US, Emily was the most popular girls’ name of the 2000s. In 2025 it is number 34. In England and Wales it was number 4 in 1996 and is number 44 in 2025.
Sources: US Social Security Administration, Office for National Statistics (UK).