Wei

♂ Boy

Pronounced WAY /ˈweɪ/Medium

Meaning: A romanized Chinese name whose meaning depends entirely on the character used — common senses include 'great; mighty' or 'power; strength.' We give the shared range honestly rather than one fixed gloss.Low

In 30 seconds: A single strong beat: Wei is Chinese, often 'great, mighty' or 'power' by character (said 'WAY'). Character-dependent, which we note.

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Origin MediumChinese

MeaningA romanized Chinese name whose meaning depends entirely on the character used — common senses include 'great; mighty' or 'power; strength.' We give the shared range honestly rather than one fixed gloss.

U.S. rank (2017)#9637 ↗ Rising

2017 U.S. births8 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1998

Total births (all-time)≈ 283

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Wei is a widely used Chinese given name; its meaning is character-dependent, with common senses like 'great; mighty' or 'power; strength.' We note that honestly — rare in the U.S. as a standalone spelling (said 'WAY').

It appears rarely in U.S. records, common in China. Rare here, strong at the root.

Did you know? Wei is a romanized Chinese name whose meaning shifts with the character behind it — common senses include 'great; mighty' or 'power' — so we give the range honestly rather than one gloss (said 'WAY').

Overall data confidence 36%

References — Wei — Chinese; character-dependent ('great/mighty' or 'power')

Variations

WaiWayWeiwei

Nicknames

WeiWay

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Wei…

Jun— a like Chinese boy's name

Ming— a like Chinese given name

Chen— a like romanized Chinese pick

Xi— echoes that soft -i sound

Zhi— lands in the same popularity range

Explore names like Wei

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Wei mean?

Wei is a Chinese name whose meaning depends on the character; common senses include 'great; mighty' or 'power.' We note it is character-dependent.

How do you pronounce Wei?

It's said WAY /ˈweɪ/ — one syllable, stress on the first.

Is Wei a boy or girl name?

Here Wei is used as a boy's name; note Wei is used across genders in China depending on the character.

How popular is Wei?

Wei is extremely rare in U.S. records and common in China.