How do Chinese choose Western names?

Western names are widely used by Chinese-speaking people, in addition to their Chinese names, even though they are not used for official identification. These names might be chosen by either teachers or parents, and sometimes even by one’s own self.

How do Chinese people pick their names?

The family name (or ‘surname’) is inherited from one’s parents and shared with other members of the individual’s immediate family. It always comes before the given name and is usually a single syllable/Chinese character. The given name (or ‘personal name’) is chosen at birth as the individual’s personal identifier.

Why are Chinese names so weird?

Because the small number of Chinese surnames leads to confusion in social environments, and because some Chinese parents have a desire to give individuality, some Chinese have received unusual given names. As of April 2009, about 60 million Chinese people have unusual characters in their names.

Do Chinese have middle names?

In Chinese, the family name comes first, followed by the given name. There is no equivalent of a middle name in Chinese. About one in seven people in China have a name that is only two syllables, and very few people have names that are four syllables or more.

Why are English names so hard to pronounce in China?

For many, English names are informal haos that represent another layer of identity. Admittedly, some Chinese names are really difficult to pronounce. For instance, westerners find it tricky to pronounce names starting with ‘x’, which sounds a little like ‘sh’ in Chinese, or ‘c’ which is pronounced ‘tz’.

Do Western names make Chinese names easier to understand?

Indeed, readers may even have enjoyed a laugh at the expense of a Chinese friend with an unusual name, such as Seven, Strong, or Cupid. An obvious interpretation of naming practices claims that having a Western name makes it easier for a Chinese person to navigate cross-cultural interactions.

What are the most common first names in China?

Though Chinese speakers can be very creative with Western names, the more common first names are still very popular, such as John, Jack, Tim, Jane, Mary and Christine. It should also be noted that not only names from the US and the UK, but other European names or even Japanese names are also not unusual among Chinese speakers.

Do Chinese people have a traditional naming culture?

Chinese people who are able to assimilate into Western culture, therefore, deny themselves many aspects of their traditional naming culture as a courtesy to foreign acquaintances. However, we must remain wary of judging English names as somehow inauthentic by virtue of being unusual.