A surname from the ancient State of Wei, associated with the famous strategist Zhuge Liang's era.
What the character means
Greatness and majesty
Why it scores this way
Easy to say96
Reads the way it looks for an English speaker — no sounds English doesn't have.
Recognised in China68
Common enough that most Chinese speakers recognise it (roughly the top 100).
Easy to write35
18 strokes — more than most; it will take real practice to write smoothly.
People who carried this name
Wei Zheng — Tang dynasty chancellor (580–643), famed for his honest advice to Emperor Taizong.
Wei Yuan — Qing dynasty scholar and thinker, author of Illustrated Treatise on the Sea Kingdoms, advocated learning Western technology to counter Western powers.
Wei Wuji — Prince of Xinling, a Warring States nobleman, famous for stealing a military seal to save Zhao, renowned strategist of the Four Lords.