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Temple names (廟號 or less commonly 庙號 Pinyin: miào hào;), are commonly used when naming most Chinese and certain Korean rulers. When compared to posthumous names, the use of temple names is more exclusive. Both titles were given after death to an emperor or king, but unlike the elaborate posthumous name, a temple name always consists of only two characters:

1. an adjective: chosen to reflect the circumstances of the emperor's reign (such as "Martial" or "Lamentable"). The vocabulary overlap with that of posthumous titles' adjectives, but for one emperor, the temple name's adjective character usually does not repeat as one of the many adjective characters in his posthumous name. The usual except is "Filial". The founders are almost always either "High" (高) or "Grand" (太).
2. "emperor": either zǔ (祖) or zong (宗).
   • Zu ("forefather") implies a progenitor, either a founder of a dynasty or a new line within an existing one. The equivalent in Korean is jo (조)
   • Zong ("ancestor") is used in all other rulers. It is jong (종) in Korean.

The name "temple" refers to the "grand temple" (太廟), also called "great temple" (大廟) or "ancestral temple" (祖廟), where crown princes and other royalties gathered to worship their ancestors. On the ancestral tablets in the grand temple, it is the ruler's temple names that are written there.

Temple names were assigned sporadically since the Han Dynasty and regularly only since the Tang Dynasty. Some Han emperors even had their temple names permanently removed by their descendents in 190. It is the usual way to refer to the emperors from the Tang Dynasty up to (but not including) the Ming Dynasty. For the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty (from 1368 onward), era nameEra system Era name was an East Asian imperial practice of numbering years in an emperor's reign. It originated as a motto or slogan chosen by the emperor. Different East Asian countries utilized slightly different systems: Chinese era name Japanese era ns were used instead.

In Korea, temple names are used to refer to kings of the early Goryeo DynastyIn Korea, the Goryeo Dynasty ( 918- 1392), also the Wang Dynasty followed Silla and preceded the Joseon Dynasty, was the ruling dynasty of Goryeo. The founder was Taejo (; ), Wang Geon (; ). The last ruler is Gongyang Wang (; ). The first twenty-four rule (until 1274Events May 7 In France the Second Council of Lyons opens to consider the condition of the Holy Land and to agree to a union with the Byzantine church. August 21 Philip III of France marries Marie de Brabant End of the reign of Emperor Kameyama of Japan Em), and kings and emperors of the Joseon DynastyThe Joseon Dynasty was founded in 1392 by Korean general Yi Seonggye ( Taejo), who overthrew the former kingdom of Goryeo and established the kingdom of Joseon in a coup d'etat, simultaneously ending the period of Mongol domination that had begun in 1259.. For the Korean EmpireThe Korean Empire existed from 1897 to 1910. In 1897, under King Gojong, the name of Korea was changed from Joseon to Daehan Jeguk making the country an empire and Gojong its first emperor. In East Asia, the status of empire meant independence from China, ( 1897Events January 1 Brooklyn, New York merges with New York City. January 4 A British force is ambushed by Chief Ologbosheri, son-in-law of the Oba of Benin. This leads to a Punitive Expedition against Benin. February 2 The Pennsylvania state capitol is dest- 1910Events January events January 13 The first live musical radio program. Lee De Forest broadcasts a live performance of Enrico Caruso from the Metropolitan Opera. January 26 ? Seine floods in Paris. February events February 8 The Boy Scouts of America is in), era names should be used, but the temple names are often used instead.

A fuller description of this naming convention is given in the Chinese sovereign entry. For details on the use of temple names in Korea, see Rulers of Korea.

See also: courtesy name