Good Characters, Inc. Blog

The first place East meets West for many Chinese is in their personal names. At one time, only the very few Chinese who had influence among foreigners had English names. Today, however, college students are being required to choose English names for themselves. And they want those English names. As China moves farther and faster onto the world stage, young Chinese are readying themselves for the leap forward into the Westernized international marketplace.

Traditionally, choosing a name in China is a long and involved process. One needs to consider the sounds, the meanings, the associations with ancient literature and historic figures. In the 19th century, choosing an English name involved family, English tutors, foreign friends, and Chinese sages. Today’s young people, however, are often bypassing this tedious route. They are simply selecting English names that either sound like or have meanings similar to their Chinese names. So, Di chooses Eddy for the sound similarity, Chao translates his name literally as Super, and Wentao calls herself Wendy.

The English names are easier for Westerners to say and remember. Chinese youth use them because they want to establish rapport and good will among their Western friends and clients. They use them as a bridge between East and West. The bridge goes two ways. Westerners who want to experience the good will and win the respect of their Chinese associates would do well to consider having a Chinese name.

Link:

• English names catch on among Chinese
  Young bridging a gap with West