Entry № 2574 · Chinese origin

Wenji Wenji — Meaning, Origin & Baby Name Popularity

/ WUN-jee /
Gender
Girl
Origin
Chinese
Meaning
"Han poet kidnapped by the Xiongnu"
Syllables
2
Rank · US 2025
№ 0
First recorded
Ancient (Chinese)

A name that means "han poet kidnapped by the xiongnu".

Wenji (文姬) — "refined daughter." **Cai Wenji (c. 177-c. 250)** was the Han Dynasty poet, calligrapher, and musician. **Kidnapped by the Xiongnu (Huns) during the chaos of the Han collapse, she lived 12 years among them as the wife of a chieftain and bore him two sons** — before being ransomed back to China by warlord Cao Cao, leaving her sons behind. **Her *Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute* and *Poems of Grief and Anger* are among the most haunting works of classical Chinese literature.**

Featured in countless Chinese paintings and the 1959 Cao Yu play.

Refined daughter. Kidnapped by the Xiongnu for 12 years; ransomed back but had to leave her sons.

The name in its native script.

文姬
Transliteration
Wénjī
Pronunciation
/ ˈwʌn.dʒi /
Root
Grammatical form

Where Wenji stands.

Current rank · 2025
№ 0 in the U.S.
All-time peak
№ 0 in 0
Babies named Wenji · last year
87 in the U.S.
First entered SSA top-1000
0
Rank, 1995–2025 Lower = more popular
№25 №75 №150 №250 1995 2005 2015 2020 2025 PEAK · — NOW · —

Wenjis before her.

Real people
Cai Wenji
Han Dynasty poet.
c. 177 – c. 250
In fiction
Wenji
Cao Yu's The Return of Cai Wenji.
1959

Names connected to Wenji.

The number behind Wenji.

5

The Free Spirit

Wenji reduces to five — the number of Han kidnapped-poet.

Why families chose this name.

"Han kidnapped-poet. Five letters. Wenji."
Lily · Mother of one · Luoyang