Want a unique baby name? Chongqing police could help

CHONGQING -- Newborns bring joy, but also a headache when it comes to choosing a name as many young Chinese parents want unique names for their children.

Coming up with a name that is not common is a difficult task, but police in Southwest China's Chongqing municipality may offer some help.

The municipal public security bureau has recently launched an online inquiry system for citizens to check for duplicate names via its official mobile application or WeChat account.

Users can find out whether, and by how many people, a name has been used in Chongqing, the male-female ratio, age distribution and even constellation of the people sharing the names.

"Many parents are willing to give their newborn babies a unique and meaningful name. This system can help them make a decision," said Zhang Yunhang, a police officer of the bureau.

Currently, a total of 2,710 kids under three years old in Chongqing have the same given name "Zihan," while the second-ranking given name "Shihan" is shared by 2,564 kids.