i don't have an english name?
who says that chinese are not proud of their names?
You are a rare one!
Why Chinese Like Weird English Names
Jenny Zhu Post in China, musings，Tags: Chinese names, English names, name culture
04 March 2010
51
I recently got to know a guy named 'Cridge', another 'Forrest'. They are grown-up professional Chinese men not hippies. (Forrest even went abroad for his MBA education.)
As some might know, English names chosen by Chinese often range from weird to wacky. Over the years, I have known several girls named 'Kinki', men 'Sky' and even a 'Boot'. They are young cosmopolitan Chinese who want to express personality and individuality through their English names. But they must have a very misconstrued view of English names. I suspect many see it as a name rebirth of the 'tribal' names they were first given by their English teachers, most of who go through a list of top 20 boys' and girls' names. That's how I got my name 'Jenny'. I have thought about switching to names like 'Chloe' or 'Valaria'. But I would have a new favorite name once every month that I was even confusing myself.
I wonder if there is any implication for foreigners choosing a Chinese name. (Stick with transliterations?) I have an ultra-hip friend from Brooklyn whose Chinese name is å¼ æ˜Ž/Zhang1 Ming2, which could not be a more authentic and average Chinese name. But it was too Chinese of a name for him.
Oh, speaking of weird English names, my little nephew is named 'Navy' (given by his mother to honor our grandfather who served in the Chinese Navy.) Ah, maybe there is a personal story behind every weird name.
Additional thoughts: it dawned on me why so many Chinese have weird English names (and why some foreigners have funny Chinese names). It's because we sometimes lack the cultural awareness and references to interpret names. So the nuances get lost in the process. Someone named 'Cridge' is most likely unconscious of how awkward the name is. And these subtleties take time and sometimes being in a foreign country to develop. So I guess the best way to pick a name is to ask at least 5 native speakers.
Why Chinese Like Weird English Names « Jenny Zhu
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51 Responses to "Why Chinese Like Weird English Names"
Brendan
March 4, 2010 6:50 pm
I've long been against the notion of having to choose another name, whether it's Chinese people picking English names or foreigners picking Chinese names. It's nothing to do with people picking weird names (and of course, for every Chinese student of English who calls themselves "Earthquake," there's at least one Brazilian student of Chinese who names himself "天王") — rather, I just don't see the point. If I were studying Spanish, I wouldn't change my name to "Juan Ramon;" if I were studying Japanese, I wouldn't pretend that I was from the ä¸ç”° family.
Back when I was writing a Chinese newspaper column, I wrote a long, reasonably funny rant about the whole topic, and swore a mickle oath that I would never use a Chinese name, ever. I held out for a few years, but then it came time to print up business cards for a project some friends and I were working on, and I had to come up with a Chinese name for the flip-side of the card. Presented with the choice between a clumsy phonetic approximation of my name ("布兰登·奥剀æ©" or something equally ugly) and a cod-Chinese name, I went with the cod-Chinese name.
But as a last half-hearted act of protest, I opted to call myself 何毖.
Joe
March 4, 2010 11:08 pm
The funny names are certainly not reserved for the Chinese. I lived in Poland for a little and met a man named 'Kermit'. He was very proud of the name.
A
March 5, 2010 12:40 am
Your note about the American with a too-authentic Chinese name has me wondering if you have any advice for è€å¤– trying to settle on a Chinese name (besides getting an okay from a native speaker, of course). I recently decided to change my Chinese given name (ie not surname) to something that is a little closer to my English name, and have found myself wishing for a list of characters that are appropriate for names, to help me narrow down the possibilities to a handful that have the general sounds I'm going for.
Any thoughts on è€å¤– with one-character vs. two-character given names?
Also, does anyone worry about the characters' pronunciation in (say) å¹¿ä¸œè¯ when choosing names?
My Kafkaesque Life
March 5, 2010 2:16 am
I like my Chinese name 尼诺, because it sounds close to my real name, which is Nino. I'm using it since 2 years and I can't imagine to change to something like å¼ æ˜Ž. I'm a fan of phonetic transliterations, because Chinese has a different way of pronouncing and writing Western names, so it's best to adapt. To pick a random name is not my style, but I'm ok, if others do that. Also if Chinese pick "weird" Western name for themselves. I mean, weird and cool is highly subjective and every name has a history. Let's just be positive about this issue.
Carl
March 5, 2010 8:22 am
I've asked several of my students why they would name them selves "stone" or something similarly strange, but they don't seem to care that its not a normal name. I think its a good thing that today's youth want to express themselves more.
k
March 5, 2010 8:38 am
I think Chinese people often pick names that sound strange (or, frankly, that just aren't names: Sky, Boot, etc.) because they don't understand what goes into the naming process in any of the places where English is spoken. Similarly, I'm pretty sure I've read stories about foreigners picking odd-sounding Chinese names, and I'm pretty sure it's for the same reason. I would by no means trust myself to pick out a Chinese name that wouldn't turn heads.
I think we hear more about odd-sounding English names because Chinese people picking English names often do it in a vacuum of English speakers and as such their strange names stick around. On the other hand, when Westerners pick Chinese names, typically a Chinese person is around to help–also, if they're picking a Chinese name, usually they have some kind of interest in the culture or at least the language, whereas Chinese people pick English names as a perceived convenience to English speakers they may encounter.
Just a hypothesis"¦.
Big Liu
March 5, 2010 9:19 pm
I've heard of "Herbie" and "Coffee" as English names chosen by Chinese businessmen. Crazy!
Steve C
March 7, 2010 1:57 am
Currently, I have students named Elite, Dolphin, and Enjoy. When I first came to Taiwan I thought these unusual English names were strange, but now I like their uniqueness.
I asked some Taiwanese friends to help me choose my Chinese name (required by my employer, and necessary to register my scooter, etc.). I told them I didn't want a typical "foreigner sounding" transliterated name, but I still wanted it to sound somewhat like my English name. I'm pleased with the result (å”書文), and the Taiwanese seem to find it a pleasant name.
Joe
March 9, 2010 4:44 am
Indeed it's pretty strange what funny Western names many Chinese have or use. One can only fear that they have been betrayed by bad friends being asked about the proper names. Dealing every day with Chinese people in business I came up with Ocean, Smile, England. etc.
In earlier years I can understand that there might have been a certain need to have Western people being able to spell and memorize their names better than the Chinese, but nowadays I don't think it would still be necessary.
On the other hand, when learning Chinese, my teacher also gave me a Chinese name: 周. No wonder, it's Joe as well"¦
Xiao Liang
March 9, 2010 5:46 pm
It's not so much weird names, but particularly chinese girls seems to really enjoy choosing English old lady names! For example:
Dorothy, Lily, Vera, Connie, Gloria, Grace, Peggy"¦ that's just some from the chinesepod teachers. All very classic old lady names. Vera is my grandmother's name! Always makes me giggle
Jenny Zhu
March 9, 2010 6:06 pm
Yes, sometimes it does come down to being practical. The reason I have an English name is mostly that my Chinese name is quite unpronounceable to many foreigners. After being called 'zuu ki', I thought 'Jenny' would be better.
Jenny Zhu
March 9, 2010 6:07 pm
'Kermit', cute.
Jenny Zhu
March 9, 2010 6:10 pm
I personally think one-character given names are more contemporary and edgier. But sometimes, it seems a bit odd to me especially when the character has no link to the person's English name if that makes sense. But again, my English name has no link to my Chinese name at all.
Jenny Zhu
March 9, 2010 6:11 pm
Well said. I am along the same line with you, although my English name has no link to my Chinese name.
Henning
March 10, 2010 2:46 am
Why not?
I like it. If you think about it – your name is the choice of your parents, made at a time way before developing your personality . And what is the point of selecting a name from a given list of names anyway – names that actually did mean something. 1000 years ago.
I especially like "Coffee", although I would prefer "Espresso".
However, if I had a daughter I would definately not allow her to name herself "Kinky". Such a name might backfire.
Art
March 10, 2010 4:53 pm
SexyBeijing:::::::::::::::[Home]
Sexy Beijing interviewed a few Chinese a few years ago on the topic of choosing English names. It was culturally educational for me.
è‰èŽ“å±±
March 14, 2010 12:38 am
My last name is Berryhill. 10 years ago a Chinese friend gave me the name è‰èŽ“å±± (Caomei Shan) = Strawberry Hill. I've used it every since.
I echo Xiao Liang's comment on the "old lady" names, although I think of them more as Victorian names. Lydia, Juliette, etc.
Most Chinese people I work with who are under 35 years old (and live in the US) retain their Chinese name and never adopt an English name.
Joe R.
March 20, 2010 9:11 pm
I was once asked by a Chinese colleague if "Seven" was considered a man's name or a woman's name.
I think weird names pop up because Chinese names mean something, whereas English ones really don't (OK they do, but no one really knows the meanings).
jen_not_jenny
April 16, 2010 11:17 am
@A"¦yes, if you live in Southern China or spend any time around Cantonese people, you'll want to take into consideration your Chinese name's Canto pronunciation. My first Chinese name, given to me by my (non-native speaking) tutor was 毕金绯，which any Chinese person will tell you is already awkward enough, especially for a woman's name. Unfortunately, the name in Cantonese is pronounced But GumFei, and this horrific but memorable name is what my ABC friend's father calls me down to this day. He can't for the life of him remember my English name, and even the "proper" Chinese name I chose with the help of a native speaker is eclipsed by my first, really bad, Chinese name.
Jamil Batcha
April 20, 2010 5:40 pm
My Chinese name is kind of an oxymoron.
My name in English is above (my first name is actually Arabic and last name is Indian in origin)
What is My Chinese name? 白佳茗. A perfect name in a phonetic sense, one that flows with my name in English Jia Ming – Jamil or (even if this isn't right) Bai Jia – Batcha. Awesome. Sweet. Cool. What have you. So what's wrong with it?
Well, rather than being a nice caucasian girl/lady (白 – white, ä½³- good/pretty, 茗 – tender tea leaves), I'm actually an Indian dude (ok – born and bred in the US, but for the sake of appearances"¦). I'm sure one could guess the reaction (giggles) at restaurants and hotels when I book a table for "Mr. White" on the phone and then show up in person.
It's pretty funny though and I have my nicknames, so I guess I'll leave it be.
Xyan Minh-Cho
April 26, 2010 12:56 pm
I English name is Britttany, but I Russia name is Dasha. They both popular name to the culture. I wish I have different name because I met boy name Forps and I think that name is nice because nobody else will had that name.
Мое ÐнглийÑкое название БретанÑки, но мое РуÑÑкое название – Ñто Dasha. Они – об популÑрных Ð½Ð°Ð·Ð²Ð°Ð½Ð¸Ñ Ðº их культуре. Я желаю, чтобы Ñ Ð¸Ð¼ÐµÐ» различное название , поÑкольку Ñ Ð²Ñтретил мальчика, названного Forps и Ñ, думаю, что Ñто – хорошее название , поÑкольку Ñто уникально.
Angelina
May 5, 2010 9:03 am
I went to a university in England where there were many international students from China. I met a Sugar, a Pearl (I don't know the proper transliteration but she was from Hong Kong and her real name sounded like "Pua"?), a Sky, a few fruit names (Orange and Pear especially seemed really popular), and a Michael. These were all girls – including Michael. When the native English speakers explained why we laughed a little when they told us their English names, they all laughed too and it became something we really bonded over. We weren't laughing at their stupidity – they weren't stupid by any stretch of the imagination; most were students of business, law or medicine – we were laughing at cultural differences. I always found it charming to encounter another Chinese student with an unconventional name and admired their imagination in their choice. My favourite will always be Michael, though, she was such a nice girl.
Learn Chinese Online
May 13, 2010 1:35 pm
This is something foreigners would also do. I have a friend from America. He gave himself a Chinese name called "周烟花". His English name is Joe. So he use "周" as his Chinese family name and he likes fireworks very much. That's how he got his name "烟花". Every Chinese hear his name would wonder about it, is sounds weird.
Troy Carter
May 19, 2010 11:34 am
Hey Jenny.. I miss that place to eat that you took me to. I forgot what it was called, but it was good.
Michelle
May 21, 2010 7:41 am
I had a student gave himself an English name called "Turkey" and his family name was "Pan" "Turkey Pan", another one Called "Toyota Fen", this is more related to his Chinese name, because his Chinese name is "丰田"
Matt
June 4, 2010 8:24 am
I can't count the number of Chinese guys I have met named Tiger. Yeah, I suppose they figure there is Tiger Woods, but they really don't get that it still isn't a normal name. I can't take it seriously. And then I met one named Cougar. No no no!
I've met a guy called Ariel. All I could think of was Disney's 'The Little Mermaid'.
I met a girl who picked the name "Hello Beef". Her reason? She like Hello Kitty and she liked Beef. Too weird.
Frances
June 15, 2010 4:43 am
I wonder whether the guy who was asking about the English name "Seven" was thinking of "Steven" (definitely a man's name) or of Star Trek's "Seven of Nine" (definitely a woman, and she went by Seven for short).
If I had a student who had picked a name like "Kinki" or "Enjoy" I would have a really hard time trying to figure out a culturally tactful way to explain that those names sound like strippers' pseudonyms and absolutely should be changed if they plan to associate with English speakers in any capacity that doesn't involve taking their clothes off. In keeping with Jenny's recent post about not discussing sexual matters, I'm never sure what to say to a Chinese person when those issues become important that will stay on the safe side of the line of propriety.
Tools Freak
August 20, 2010 5:43 am
Wow that is an very informative article . I like your blog. Maybe you should write more articles of these type. By the way, sorry for my bad english
Jack
August 28, 2010 11:22 pm
Hi Jenny, you are very right. My chinese colleagues gave themselves names like Sword !! Looks like the cultural awareness is absent"¦..
.....Franch....
October 3, 2010 2:06 am
Is it weird if i chose "Franch"to be my English name??
Earle Isacs
October 11, 2010 7:29 pm
I dont usually comment on blogs but i have to tell you well done
Ema Nymton
October 19, 2010 5:14 am
Well "¦ I really think people who are picking names in a foreign language should really know something about that language. I have a 3-year-old nephew, who has an English name of "Jackal". It might sound catchy, but I don't think his parents wanted to name their son after a hyena derivative. When I pointed that out, like any good uncle would do, they ended up accusing me for calling their son a dog!
Another incident. Some really hot blond chick was walking down the street. She's got one of those Chinese tats on her back. I think she wanted to say "Taurus" but from the translation, it meant "I am a cow." I am sure she would have changed her mind about the tat if she got expert help, and I am sure she would have been a little more sensible than accusing someone of calling her a cow.
Ruth English
November 22, 2010 12:17 am
I find that Chinese people laugh at my name because it says what I am maybe. By the way what do Chinese people like that is English and could be exported?
Chris Hagen
April 6, 2011 7:14 pm
I think it is an incredible show of individuality for Chinese to take different English names or foreigners to take funny Chinese ones. It is refreshing, I hope it never stops. I know a guy named "Debt," "¦ I tried to get him to change it, he refused, "¦ good on him.
In a country that individuality has been suppressed for so long, encourage it when you can.
Jake
May 27, 2011 11:01 pm
Names of some people that I have met at work in Hong Kong:
Credy, Rainbow, Garlic, Jenniful, Apple, Friendly, Honky, Kennis, Cannie, Horna, Cream
Rudy
July 23, 2011 10:59 am
ive been in china for over 3 years now and my given name is Rudy. For my business i had to choose a chinese name and my friend suggested LuDi = é²è¿ªã€‚ what do you think about this name? i often get moderate laughs when they see my chinese name and they start repeating it a couple of times"¦
Jenny Zhu
July 25, 2011 12:02 pm
I think you have a great Chinese name! The two characters have very clean, steady and elegant connotations.Maybe that's why Chinese are amused by it because it sounds like an authentic Chinese name.
Jenny Zhu
July 25, 2011 12:03 pm
Garlic!!!
Ya Zhuo
August 29, 2011 12:52 am
Hi Jenny! im going to the US to study for a year as an exchange student and I wonder if i should pick another English name for myself because my current English name is Yolanda. it sounds like an South American name or Spanish one, not that commen in America.
Also, it seems that my original Chinese name is not that difficult to pronounce–å“娅(Ya Zhuo), but i still wonder if people wil be able to pronounce å“(it seems like "draw" haha!)
and"¦ what do you guys think of the names Mia and Stevie ? Which do u think suits me more?
Jenny Zhu
August 29, 2011 10:41 am
2 things jump out of me:
1. Yolanda is really nice! It's very authentic if you know what I mean.
2. If you wanted to change your name, maybe "Zoe"? It sounds a bit like å“娅.
But I am not a native ENglish speaker either. Let's see what others say. All the best in your exchange year!
Darcey
September 5, 2011 4:54 pm
I was given a handful of Chinese names over my "studying career", but I'll always be partial to the first one I got: å” ä¸½è 。 I've had variants that are closer to my English name, but"¦ Li Ping was always my first, and is what I prefer to use.
Ya Zhuo – I know someone whose name is Zou Fuying (not sure what characters she uses) and she goes by "Zoey" rather than a variation of her 'first name'. You could go for something like Zoey/Zoe (same pronunciation), or you could look at something that starts with a "Ya" sound. Or just pick something you _like_!
themethodman
October 14, 2011 2:09 pm
My chinese teacher gave me the name "å¤æ©é¾™".
Anne
January 6, 2012 12:17 am
As for me, I come from Montreal in Canada, one of the very few french-speaking cities in America. Therefore, chinese people must find a francophone name and they do. I noticed that, on the contrary of english names, they do not try to find a name with a meaning but only go with the nice sonority of a name. But they often end up with old unfashionable names. I've known a Gloria, a Yvonne and even a Jacques which could easily be my grandparents names It makes us laugh a bit but they seem so proud of their name !"¦ Well, maybe my chinese name, An1 Fei1 Li4 is old and funny-sounding too for all I know hehe
!so what!our economy is around 2 trillion dollars!we are the 8th largest economy in the world and we'll the the 3rd largest economy by 2025:thumb:!we are quite happy with our annual growth and i think we will again catch up with that magic figure(read:_above 8%) growth by 2015!so ciao mate!
