Unlike names in other languages, Chinese names are made up of individual characters, used singly or strung together. Names may be chosen to express the parents' expectations for the future of the child, to commemorate a significant event or to mark the time of the baby's birth. The names, thus chosen, fit the character of the individual, sound pleasing and are easier to remember.
A Chinese surname is often passed down through the father, but Chinese women always retain their family name even after marriage. Today, there are 3,050 Chinese surnames, but 87 percent of all Han Chinese use 100 or so common ones. Among these, Li, Wang and Zhang are the most commonly heard, given to about 250 million Chinese. Changes in names reflect the times and history of the Chinese nation. In the old society, the emperor's name could never be uttered. Those whose names were the same as the emperor's faced castigation and sometimes execution. In the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC to 23 AD), when Liu Bang became emperor, anyone with the syllable "bang" in their name had to change it.
Many Chinese want their offspring to live well, without illness or misfortune, and such hopes are reflected in one's name. A lot of people began to call their offspring names like Zhifu (getting rich) or Xinghua (rejuvenate China). A word's pronunciation and meaning can distinguish a Chinese man or woman as well. A woman's name should traditionally include words relating to composure, expression, flowers and birds, or jewelry, such as ting (graceful), mei (enchanting), hua (flower), feng (phoenix), huan (ring), yin (silver) and yan (beautiful).
Many women today are moving away from this custom. Men's names almost always imply honor to one's ancestors, militaristic bearing or virility, such as shaozu (bring honor to our ancestors), zhenbang (rejuvenate the country) gang (steel), zhijian (firm in spirit) and jinsong (sturdy pine). In addition, Chinese names can express the hopes and wishes of the father's family, hence names like Ren Youcheng (accomplishment).
I live in a foreign country and answer to an english name. Lao Meng-ling happily lives as a part of that too.
A Chinese surname is often passed down through the father, but Chinese women always retain their family name even after marriage. Today, there are 3,050 Chinese surnames, but 87 percent of all Han Chinese use 100 or so common ones. Among these, Li, Wang and Zhang are the most commonly heard, given to about 250 million Chinese. Changes in names reflect the times and history of the Chinese nation. In the old society, the emperor's name could never be uttered. Those whose names were the same as the emperor's faced castigation and sometimes execution. In the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC to 23 AD), when Liu Bang became emperor, anyone with the syllable "bang" in their name had to change it.
Many Chinese want their offspring to live well, without illness or misfortune, and such hopes are reflected in one's name. A lot of people began to call their offspring names like Zhifu (getting rich) or Xinghua (rejuvenate China). A word's pronunciation and meaning can distinguish a Chinese man or woman as well. A woman's name should traditionally include words relating to composure, expression, flowers and birds, or jewelry, such as ting (graceful), mei (enchanting), hua (flower), feng (phoenix), huan (ring), yin (silver) and yan (beautiful).
Many women today are moving away from this custom. Men's names almost always imply honor to one's ancestors, militaristic bearing or virility, such as shaozu (bring honor to our ancestors), zhenbang (rejuvenate the country) gang (steel), zhijian (firm in spirit) and jinsong (sturdy pine). In addition, Chinese names can express the hopes and wishes of the father's family, hence names like Ren Youcheng (accomplishment).
I live in a foreign country and answer to an english name. Lao Meng-ling happily lives as a part of that too.
