28 replies to this topic

[babyblue]

what Chinese names would you give your kids if you're gonna have few in the future?
Seeing it is very important for a person to have a good name, or at least not a bad one, i think this is what we all have to think about.

How does one pick suitable chinese names for your kids?

Edited by General_Zhaoyun, 04 January 2006 - 07:21 AM.

[General_Zhaoyun]

These two sites generally teach you how to name your children in chinese.

http://www.pshrink.c...meYourBaby.html

http://www.ehow.com/...by-chinese.html

The chinese names are usually in the following format:

X Y Z

Where
X = Family Name/Surname (character)
Y = Middle or Generation Name
Z = Personal Name

For those who are slightly more superstitious or believe that the name will represent some kind of fortune/divination for your children's future, you might be interested getting a book on "Xin Ming Xue 姓名学" (Chinese Namelogy). I recommend the chinese book "Zhong Hua Xin Ming Xue 中华姓名学" by Ruan Mao Sen 阮茂森, which I have at home.

The Chinese Namelogy can be quite complex, but one of the most popular method used is the "Wu Ge 五格" (5 Characteristics) method, which is a mathematic method of calculating the character strokes, after which one can derive a total number to associate with one of the "5 elements 五行"(Metal, Wood, Water, Earth, Fire) and a divination background of it.

[fcharton]

The chinese names are usually in the following format:

X Y Z

Where
X = Family Name/Surname (character)
Y = Middle or Generation Name
Z = Personal Name

I had a couple of questions for the chinese members, to which extent are generation names still given? In the PRC, I remember they were seldom used (apart from people named Kong, most of the cases I have seen were in the countryside or small cities, on the other hand, you could still find people named "cultural revolution", "red flag", or "we shall liberate Taiwan", well kidding as for the last one...).

Also, how are the generation character determined? A friend of mine told me that his came from an old text, is it always the case? Would all the people with the same name use the same generation counters?

And a last point, when did this practice begin? I am under the impression that the names of ancient people do not use generation characters, any information on this?

TIA
Francois

Edited by fcharton, 04 January 2006 - 08:33 AM.

[urofpersia]

Also, how are the generation character determined? A friend of mine told me that his came from an old text, is it always the case? Would all the people with the same name use the same generation counters?

My clan uses generation characters, the middle character. Apparently women do not take on the generation character, only the males. (Applies only to my clan)

The generational characters are supposedly already picked out and I assume it resides in a text somewhere and will serve for many more generations.

My brother, male cousins and myself use the generation character. I am doubtful however if this practice will continue after my generation since I feel no particular compunction to continue with this tradition nor am I compelled to; it has become increasingly acceptable for the parents themselves to decide on an approprate name.

Xin Ming Xue is very popular and not necessarily among the superstitious, many parents regardless of religion choose to have a sifu choose an auspicious name based on the various factors.

[naruwan]

There are however exceptions and plenty of it through out history to that format.

In more ancient times, there were just family name and name.

So just X Z

People like Liu Bang, Xiang Yu.

Today, these 2 character names are still used, especially in China. (meaning oversea Han doesn't do that as much).

Family names with two characters still exist.

These are few of the comon ones, OuYang, SiMa.

In their cases, their children just have one character names. So it'd be XX Z

However there are people who still goes with the generation name. Making 4 character names such as XX Y Z

Those name are just awesome.

Also, as big family life style of the Han culture begins to fall apart under mass urbanization, generation names often are just thrown away. Especially in big citys and out-side of China.

Some times Y Z are just picked because they sound nice or they have a special meaning.

I had a couple of questions for the chinese members, to which extent are generation names still given? In the PRC, I remember they were seldom used (apart from people named Kong, most of the cases I have seen were in the countryside or small cities, on the other hand, you could still find people named "cultural revolution", "red flag", or "we shall liberate Taiwan", well kidding as for the last one...).

TIA
Francois

T'is actually funny, seeing how the word liberation means nothing at all yet people still insist on using it.

[fcharton]

However there are people who still goes with the generation name. Making 4 character names such as XX Y Z
Those name are just fvcking awesome.

Actually, I remember a funny story in the preface of the Ye Hang Chuan, where a young student sharing a boat cabin with an old official, and noticing that his general knowledge is far from perfect, quizzes him on people names, asking whether X Y is one person or two (I remember he asks about Yao and Shun, among others), and XX Y Z is one or two persons, and makes fun of him because the offical always assume that 2-3 characters means one person, and 4 means 2...

T'is actually funny, seeing how the word liberation means nothing at all yet people still insist on using it.

It does serve a practical purpose : you have a different term for the cultural revolution (Geming) and 1949 (Jiefang)...


As for generations, I have heard a funny (though probably legendary) story in a small city in Qinghai, which said that at some point (in the mid 20th century), the oldest branch of the Kong clan there had lost count of the generation characters, and actually sent their oldest son to Shandong to inquire about it (that was a long and difficult trip back then...). He brought back the characters for the next generations, and the clan lived on happy everafter...

Francois

Edited by fcharton, 04 January 2006 - 09:02 AM.

[General_Zhaoyun]

It is also important to note the "5 Elements Principle" when choosing name. Having a combination of characters containing these 5 elements might mean good or bad fortune depending on the below principle.

The general principle is as follow:

"5 Elements positive principle 五行相生":
木生火 (Wood gives fire)
火生土 (Fire gives Earth)
土生金 (Earth gives Metal)
金生水 (Metal gives Water)
水生木 (Water gives Wood)

For e.g. if two of your name character contains "wood radical" and "fire radical", it is actually good, because wood gives fire. See the name "朴炀", 朴 contains 木 (wood) while "炀" contains "火" (fire)

"5 Elements negative principle 五行相剋":
木剋土 (Wood kills Earth)
土剋水 (Earth kills Water)
水剋火 (Water kills Fire)
火剋金 (Fire kills Metal)
金剋木 (Metal kills Wood)

Two of your name characters should not contain the above combinations.
For e.g. two of your names should not contain "metal radical" and "wood radical", as "metal kills wood". See the bad name 钟桂英, 钟 contains the radical 金 (metal), while 桂 contains the radical 木 (wood), but Metal kills Wood, so the name is not auspicious and probably will bring bad luck.

[naruwan]

Most generation charaters I know are often writting as in a 對聯. Which they just go down the next character.

Talking about XX joke.

My classmate was working for a technical support line in California, and received a call one day. He inquered for the customer's name and the customer said

"My name is Michael Yang"

So my classmate said "Ok, Mr. Yang, How may I help?"

The customer responded rather enraged

"My name is Mike . OuYang."

Mr. OuYang... you shouldn't have named yourself Mike.... that's your own ***** fault.

[Kulong]

My classmate was working for a technical support line in California, and received a call one day. He inquered for the customer's name and the customer said

"My name is Michael Yang"

So my classmate said "Ok, Mr. Yang, How may I help?"

The customer responded rather enraged

"My name is Mike . OuYang."

Mr. OuYang... you shouldn't have named yourself Mike.... that's your own ***** fault.

Haha, I agree with your friend... I would actually sympathize with this Mr. Ouyang had he not been enraged.

[babyblue]

Oh GZ i was simply asking people "what" they would name their kids...i didn't need you to edit my post and put forward a bunch of website telling people "how" to name their kids... I just want people to say by heart what names they'd want for their kids. Now the whole thread has turned into something totally different from what I intended...great...
anyway what was wrong with my original post?

Edited by babyblue, 05 January 2006 - 02:53 AM.

[FullofJoy]

I use have this American guy who first came to meet some of my frens for the first time..chinese of coz ... and all of us introduce our Chinese name to him..... and he was like..."oh man..how does you chinese pick your names ,do you throw the coins and hear the sound how in drop...all the ling,ting,ching,ming..." hahaha.. I tot tat was a unique way to see it... hahah

[Shadowfax]

Pick a name that you like or have some sort of specific meanings

or simly a name that sounds good

If I want my child to live in the US, I would name him/her something that sounds cool in English. Sometimes some chinese name is really hard to pronounce and the person would then use an English name.

[Moose]

I had a couple of questions for the chinese members, to which extent are generation names still given? In the PRC, I remember they were seldom used (apart from people named Kong, most of the cases I have seen were in the countryside or small cities, on the other hand, you could still find people named "cultural revolution", "red flag", or "we shall liberate Taiwan", well kidding as for the last one...).TIA
Francois

My generation still have generation names where my and my male cousins share the same generation name while my sister and her female cousins share another generation name. My generation name is Cheng while those of my female cousins is Hui

[urofpersia]

Oh GZ i was simply asking people "what" they would name their kids...i didn't need you to edit my post and put forward a bunch of website telling people "how" to name their kids... I just want people to say by heart what names they'd want for their kids. Now the whole thread has turned into something totally different from what I intended...great...

Hi,

if you were 'simply asking people "what" they would name their kids then perhaps a better place for that topic is in Dragon Gate Inn. Whatever amendments GZ made the thread it has become more relevant to the study and learning of chinese culture.

Perhaps you can start another topic in DGI?

Cheers

[babyblue]

Hi,

if you were 'simply asking people "what" they would name their kids then perhaps a better place for that topic is in Dragon Gate Inn. Whatever amendments GZ made the thread it has become more relevant to the study and learning of chinese culture.

Perhaps you can start another topic in DGI?

Cheers

Thanks for the advice, but this topic was from the Dragon Gate Inn...