Crazy Rich Asians

Rachel Chu: A and Northwestern-educated American of Chinese descent who is an economics professor at New York University. She did not have a father and was raised by her mother, an immigrant from China.

Stanford

Nicholas "Nick" Young: Rachel's boyfriend, who is a history professor at New York University. He currently lives with Rachel in New York City, but is originally from Singapore and hails from a rich family.

Eleanor Young (née Sung): Nick's controlling mother who disapproves of Rachel. She is revered by her friends and many people her age for becoming Mrs. Philip Young. However, Eleanor wasn't liked by Su Yi. She has spent most of her adult life trying to position Nick as Su Yi's favorite grandchild.

Kerry Chu: Rachel's single mother, a real estate agent in , who immigrated from China to the United States.

Cupertino, California

Philip Young: Nick's laid-back engineer father who lives in Sydney. He is Su Yi's only son and is therefore expected to inherit , as well as the largest portion of Su Yi's fortune.

Tyersall Park

Astrid Teo (née Leong): Nick's fashion icon cousin who is referred to as "the Goddess" and is known for her beauty and impeccable fashion sense. Her old-moneyed family, the Leongs, are implied to be even richer than the Youngs.

Peranakan

Shang Su Yi, Lady Young: Nick's wealthy grandmother who, along with her brother Alfred Shang, inherited the fortune from her father, Shang Loong Ma. Su Yi owns the largest single piece of private real estate in Singapore with a palace-like mansion called Tyersall Park where she has lived most of her life. Her late husband was Sir James Young, a doctor. She doesn't approve of Rachel and Eleanor.

Felicity Leong (née Young): Astrid's mother and Su Yi's second eldest child. She married Henry "Harry" Leong Sr. and has three other children: Henry Leong Jr., Dr. Peter Leong, and Alexander Leong.

Victoria Young: Su Yi's second youngest child who has not married and is the only family member, besides her mother, who still lives at Tyersall Park.

Alexandra "Alix" Cheng (née Young): Su Yi's youngest child who married a world-renowned heart surgeon, Dr. Malcolm Cheng, and invested his earnings in real estate, creating a fortune for her family. She and her husband are in constant worry for their children, especially their eldest son, Eddie.

Edison "Eddie" Cheng: Nick's cousin who wants his family to have a picture perfect life. Despite having wealthy parents, with his father being one of the world's renowned heart surgeons, and his mother coming from the wealthy, aristocratic Youngs and creating his family's massive fortune in real estate, they live a humble lifestyle, something that Eddie is ashamed of.

Fiona Cheng (née Tung) : Eddie's wife who comes from an old-money family in Hong Kong. Unlike her husband, Eddie, she does not care what others think of her or her family.

Alistair Cheng: Eddie's brother who's involved in the Hong Kong movie business. He is dating a soap opera star, Kitty Pong, who later dumps him, believing he's not as rich as his family members are.

Kitty Pong: A gold-digging soap opera star who is dating Alistair. When she breaks up with Alistair for Bernard and marries him in , she ends up making several mishaps in the tabloids, including embarrassing Alistair's more powerful family.

China Rich Girlfriend

Goh Peik Lin: Rachel's bubbly, generous, outspoken, and shopaholic old friend who comes from a rich family who owns a real estate development company.

Singaporean

Colin Khoo: Nick's best friend and Astrid's cousin, whose family is one of the richest in the world. His wedding to Araminta Lee is the most talked-about wedding in all of eastern Asia. His mother, who died years ago, was the sister of Astrid's father.

Sophie Khoo: Colin's sister and also Astrid's cousin who works as a pediatric surgeon and befriends Rachel. She is sent by Astrid to look out for Rachel at Araminta's bachelorette party.

Araminta Lee Khoo: Colin's fiancée and later, wife, who befriends Rachel. She is a supermodel, who once modeled for famous designers like , whose father is one of China's richest men and whose mother owns a luxury hotel chain.

Alexander McQueen

Jacqueline Ling: Su-Yi's goddaughter and a close family friend to the Shangs, Youngs, and T'siens. She is the granddaughter of philanthropist Ling Yin Chao.

Oliver T'sien: Nick's cousin who works for in London. He is the one who lies to Kitty about Alistair's humble background.

Christie's

Cassandra Shang: Nick's gossipy cousin once removed who seems to know everything about everyone, earning her the nickname "Radio One Asia". She is a first cousin of Nick’s father.

Carol Tai: A devout Christian who's also the wife of a corrupt billionaire, Dato' Tai Toh Lui. She is one of Eleanor's best friends.

Datin

Bernard Tai: Carol's son and also Nick and Colin's former classmate. He is very spoiled by his father.

Francesca Shaw: The heiress of her family's company, Shaw Foods. She is Nick's vain, snobbish, and socialite ex-girlfriend who doesn't like Rachel. Her mother, Nadine, is also good friends with Eleanor.

Michael Teo: Astrid's ex-army husband who owns a Technology start-up company.

Charlie Wu: Astrid's tech billionaire ex-fiancé who still has feelings for her despite being married to someone else. Astrid's parents disapprove of him because he does not come from an old-money family like hers.

Chinese in New York City

Overseas Chinese

Chinese Singaporeans