Samuel in Chinese
How to write Samuel in Chinese, how to say it, and real Chinese names that sound like it.
Samuel, written by sound
塞缪尔
Sàimiù'ěr
- 塞sài
- 缪miù
- 尔ěr“you (old)”
This is how Samuel 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.
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 Samuel
Each one echoes the sound of Samuel and means something good on its own. Tap the buttons to hear a character, watch it written, or write it yourself.
Poetic name
明月Míngyuè
the bright moon
míng
bright, clear
日sun月moon
Commonly explained as the sun 日 and the moon 月 side by side: bright.
yuè
moon
More Chinese names for Samuel
Not as close to Samuel in sound, but each one is a real name with a meaning of its own.
Classic name
沐辰Mùchén
bathed in morning light
mù
to bathe (in grace)
chén
morning; celestial
Classic name
沐阳Mùyáng
bathed in sunlight
mù
to bathe (in grace)
yáng
sun
Stroke order follows the mainland China standard; a few characters are written differently in Taiwan.
Get your own Chinese name
Samuel, 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, 明月 becomes a full name such as 林明月 (Lín Míngyuè).
About the name Samuel
In the US, Samuel was the 22nd most popular boys’ name of the 2010s. In 2025 it is number 18. In England and Wales it was number 9 in 1996 and is number 66 in 2025.
Sources: US Social Security Administration, Office for National Statistics (UK).