If three paternal cousins are named Wang Cheng'an (王承安), Wang Chengyuan (王承远) and Wang Chengzhi (王承志), their shared character 承 may come from a family plan. The elders assign Cheng to that generation, while each household chooses An, Yuan or Zhi to distinguish the individual child.
The shared character is called a generation character or generation name—zibei (字辈) in Chinese. Some lineages arranged the characters for many future generations in advance, sometimes as a verse that could be memorised. When the father’s generation reached one character in the sequence, the children’s generation used the next.
This system marks a place in a lineage, not simply age. A late-born uncle may still stand one generation above a nephew who is older in years.
Cheng remains part of the given name on an identity document. Wang Cheng'an divides into the surname Wang and the given name Cheng'an. Cheng'an belongs together in a given-name field. A generation character does not function like a Western middle name, even though it occupies the middle position in many three-character Chinese names.
The shared character can change position
Wang Cheng'an places the generation character first within the given name. Another lineage may place its shared character second. The position comes from family practice, not a national rule.
Historically, many lineage systems applied generation characters mainly to men. Other families included daughters, and modern families may create new patterns of their own.
The practice also changed sharply during the twentieth century. A study by Li Zhonghua and Edwin Lawson, published in 2002, found that the use of generation names fell substantially by the middle of the century. It rose again after 1976, but did not return to its pre-1950 level.
Chinese families today therefore vary widely. Some still consult a genealogy before naming a child; others stopped using the sequence generations ago. Siblings who share one character may simply reflect a theme chosen by their parents. To confirm a formal generation name, ask whether paternal cousins share it and which characters were assigned to the generations above and below them.