Enlai

Enlai is a Chinese given name, typically used for males. It is usually formed from two characters, commonly 恩 (en) meaning benevolence or grace, and 来 (lai) meaning to come; however, the exact meaning depends on the chosen characters and can vary.

The name’s most prominent bearer is Zhou Enlai (周恩来; 1898–1976), a leading Chinese statesman who served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China from 1949 until his death in 1976. As a senior member of the Chinese Communist Party, he played a central role in diplomacy, foreign policy, and government administration during the early PRC era. He helped shape relations with many countries, including participation in the Bandung Conference and the period leading to the United States–China rapprochement in the early 1970s.

As a given name, Enlai appears in Chinese-speaking communities beyond Zhou Enlai, though it is not among the most common given names. The name is typically written 恩来, and its meaning reflects the chosen characters rather than a fixed interpretation.

In romanization, Enlai is the pinyin spelling of the name. Older systems such as Wade–Giles render it as En-lai. The cultural recognition of Zhou Enlai has made the name Enlai widely associated with him in historical and political contexts.