Here are a few tips I found at various online sites:
Can I choose a Chinese name for my baby if I can't read Chinese?
You could certainly choose names that sound Chinese, but it would pay to consult someone who can read Chinese to ensure you choose a baby name that also has a nice meaning. Better still if you consult a family elder or a trusted friend with a good understanding of Chinese culture and naming practices.
This can help you avoid embarrassing mistakes. For example, while many Chinese names, such as Ming, can be used for boys and girls, there are also characters and names that are considered more masculine or feminine.
Besides, so many Chinese words can sound the same, it would pay to know which Chinese character you actually mean to give your child as a name. For example, Ming (明) is usually chosen because it means bright, brilliant or light. But the following words are also written in pinyin as ming: 命 (life or fate), 名 (name) and 瞑 (to contemplate). These ming's are not usually used as names.
Other cultural notes:
Chinese babies are never named after a family member, especially grandparents. In some regions of China, it’s taboo. As a result, there is no “Ming Jr.” type of names in China, no matter how famous your grandfather or how much you respect him.
In China, most parents also try to avoid picking a name with characters that are too hard to write or so rare that it is difficult to pronounce correctly. Parents don’t want their children spending their lives telling people how their names should be pronounced or written.
If you cannot read or write Chinese, once you've chosen your baby's name, have the characters written up for you on a piece of paper, and keep it together with your baby's birth certificate. This way, you or your child will always have a reference for how his name is actually written in Chinese.
Should my baby have two or three characters in his name?
From the mid-60s to the mid-80s, two-character names, that is, the family surname and a single character given name, were very popular in China. These days, however, parents mostly go for three-character names that allow room for more creativity and uniqueness. To be even more unique, some parents have given their babies four-character names. The first and second characters are dad’s and mum’s surnames, and the last two are baby’s given names.
Outside of China, ethnic Chinese parents have largely retained the three-character name: the surname first, followed by the generation name that would be used by all the children in the same generation, and then the child's own unique name last.
Whether you get to choose one or two names for your baby may well depend on whether your family, or your husband's family, choose to stick with a generation name. There are no hard and fast rules about this.
Does my baby's name have to be compatible with his zodiac animal sign?
Even the most non-traditional ethnic Chinese retain some awareness of shengxiao (生肖), better known as the zodiac animal signs. At least they know it is a 12-year lunar cycle comprising the rat, followed by ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Every baby has a sign according to the year he is born.
Traditionally, it is believed that a person’s character is influenced by his zodiac sign. For example, those who are born in the year of the Dragon are likely to be good leaders, brave and never avoid risks. To release the full strength and potential of one’s zodiac gift, parents will want to include in the baby’s name the Chinese characters that are believed to be lucky for dragon babies.
Our Baby Names Ideas section has a list of names that are considered lucky for babies born under various animal zodiac signs.
Again, much depends on the practices in your own family and how closely you choose to follow tradition.
www.babycenter.com.my/a25004641/choosing-a-chinese-baby-name#ixzz5bNnL3Isp.....................................
The Internet is also full of information and forums on the topic. Once your child is born and you have the date and exact time of birth, you can look up baby’s ‘ba zi’ in the Chinese almanac or simply use a free online calculator, such as the ones from Dragon Gate Palace or Feng Shui Village.
Many geomancers recommend choosing a name that is compatible with your child’s dominant elements and which complements the elements of both parents (yes, that means also knowing your own ‘ba zi’).
It should also accentuate your child’s strengths and compensate for any weaknesses. Finally, check that the name has an auspicious combination and total number of strokes, and don’t forget to read the name aloud to make sure it sounds right, especially when paired with the family surname, in Mandarin and in dialect.
Primary school teacher Pamela Tan asked her mother-in-law, who loves to study the Chinese almanac, to pick her kids’ names. Her mother-in-law chose names that would complement the children’s personalities and boost their well-being. “For example,” recalls Pamela, “my daughter was born in the year of the Monkey – we wanted this blessing from God for her to grow up confident in her natural habitat, hence she was named En Lin (恩琳).”
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Many Chinese have two names: one infant name and one formal name. As is easy to guess from the wording, infant names are very informal and used among the family members. Chinese use infant names for different reasons and usually they don’t care much about how to get them. For example, Gou Sheng which means “abandoned by a dog” is a popular infant name for baby boys in countryside.
Chinese are much more serious about formal names which are used officially from birth to death. Among many factors in choosing a Chinese baby name (formal name), the date of birth, the genealogy, the baby name meaning, and the gender are considered most important.
Birthday & Chinese Astrology
Date of birth is more than just a date in China. Each date is special in terms of Chinese horoscope, Chinese zodiac and Chinese calendar. Ancient Chinese fortunetellers claimed that they could see a person’s personality and fate if given the birthday. Depending on when the baby is born, parents have to follow certain rules when choosing a baby girl name or baby boy name.
Baby Name & Genealogy
Though not as important as in ancient times, genealogy still plays an important role in many families in China. Last names are always maintained in Chinese family trees, while middle names are the same for members of the same generation. You may imagine that the genealogy is a baby name list of the full names of ancestors and current family members, and last and middle names of offspring (future babies).
Baby Name Meaning
In terms of baby name meaning, Chinese pay equal attention to popular baby names and unique baby names. On one hand, the name reflects the family background and the expectation of parents, so it tends to be unique; on the other hand, the name reflects the historical traits of the society at a particular time. Many Chinese born in the 1960s were named as Weiguo which means “to guard the country” or Xiangdong which means “to face the East”. The baby name meaning stamps the name with characteristics of a specific time: nationalism and cult of personality.
Baby Girl Name vs. Baby Boy Name
It is very easy to tell if a person is a male or female from the Chinese name. When a baby name is chosen, gender traits are included.
A Chinese baby girl name often contains Chinese symbols that are related to the following:
Beautiful and good looking
Elegance
Kindness
Jewelry
Flowers and plants
Birds
Cosmetics
Virtues
Gentle and Lovely
A Chinese baby boy name often contains Chinese symbols that are related to the following:
Power
Fortitude
Glory
Ethics
Loyalty
Ancestors
Knowledge
Luck
Career