names in chinese

[citambulos]

I'm looking for a site or a book that has in Chinese with pinyin the names of famous people, the most common names for people in the West and in China and names of the main world cities all nicely listed.

Does someone know such a resource?

thank you

[cockneylad]

I have only got 1 which is similar to what you described. This encyclopaedia shows famous Chinese people with their Chinese name and Pinyin, more of their background can also be found there as well.

http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/List%20of%20Chinese%20people

[citambulos]

thanks!

I really find it the greatest obstacle reading newspapers not knowing all the names of people, companies and places in Chinese.

[HoVis]

That looks pretty useful! I just got back from a month in China (which was awesome, the only downside was having to leave... I'm missing all of the hanzi signs and crazy driving already!) and had an interesting conversation on a train with a young guy who was telling me all about Sarah Brightman at the opening ceremony of the Olympics, but using her Chinese name (which escapes me at the moment) which led to some interesting misunderstandings ("what, Shirley Bassey is singing at the Olympics?!"). Ah, all part of the fun of communication...

Also it would prevent mistakes such as my own in translating my English name, Dawn, into 黎明, which I only now realise is the name of a middle-aged, male, Hong Kong popstar.... I got an awful lot of weird looks when I wrote it on booking forms at hostels and the like!!!

Anyway, that's my slightly irrelevant interjection, I'm afraid I'm still bubbling over with anecdotes about my month away and have got to get rid of them somewhere...!

HoVis

[Lu]

Citambulos: not exactly a list, but I find wikipedia very useful for such things.