Mei

Mei is a syllable used in East Asian names and, less commonly, as a surname. In Chinese, the name can be written with several characters, each with its own meaning. The most common are 美, meaning beauty, and 梅, meaning plum tree. Other characters with the same pronunciation convey different nuances. As a surname, Mei (梅) exists but is relatively uncommon outside specific regions.

In given names, Mei is often part of a two-character name; it can appear as the first or second syllable. The meaning of a Chinese name containing Mei depends on the accompanying character. In Japanese, Mei is a feminine given name written with various kanji, and it is used across contemporary naming.

Mei also appears in popular culture as a personal name. A well-known example is Mei-Ling Zhou, a scientist character in the video game Overwatch, who has helped popularize the name outside East Asia.

The syllable is also encountered in language contexts through its basic readings in Mandarin and its use in romanization. As a result, Mei functions as both an element in personal names and a word component with meanings tied to the specific characters chosen in Chinese and Japanese writing systems.