Who gave you your Chinese name?
Posted 10:12pm Thu Jun 26th, 2008 by Beijingmom
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I recently found out that the Chinese name on my visa and driver’s license is just simply “Mrs. [my husband’s name]. How awful is that? So clearly, I need a Chinese name. Who gave you yours? Colleagues? Neighbors? Teachers? Do you like it? I think I want one for some reason – but how do I get one?
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Re: Who gave you your Chinese name?
my first chinese teacher gave me my chinese name ... i think any of your chinese friends could help you choose one.
I think the best is one that is reminiscent of the sound of your english name but is modified so that it has a nice meaning in chinese
for instance someone named Lisa could be given the name 丽霞 (li xia, which means roughly 'beautiful evening glow" or something like that)
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Re: Who gave you your Chinese name?
Many foreigners that i know like to get a Chinese given name that sounds similar to their first name, i.e. James would be 杰思 which also means in Chinese "great thinking", then combine it with the first syllable of their last name, like Bond, could be 庞 which is a real Chinese surname. So James
Bond would be 庞杰思. it sounds like a real chinese name and it echoes of the sound of the name in its original language. pang， 庞 also means grand, so it's also a good name in terms of the meaning. if you want, you could PM me your English name and we'll think of some potential Chinese names for ya!
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Re: Who gave you your Chinese name?
Always ask a dignified Chinese person and not someone who might think it is funny to give you a joke name. And don't just choose a name that sounds like yours, unless you're tough enough to carry off a joke name. Example: My friend Ben's chinese name is "ben", as in "ben dan". It means "stupid". He's a funny guy and can go with it, but if it was my name I'd get sick of people teasing me about it.
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Re: Who gave you your Chinese name?
My Chinese name was given to me by my students and then enhanced by some close friends, the result is 赫凯文。 The first does mimic the initial sound of my last name and the second and third to create the sound of my first name. When my daughter was going to be born I asked for ideas from many of my colleagues, they all submitted ideas and in the end we chose the one who put the most thought and effort into it. The result: 熙雯. Ask your Chinese friends, they were flattered when I asked and the winning submitter has become very proud as a result.
The only advice my Chinese friends gave me about the surname was not to use a character that was used by the Chinese for that surname. Instead they chose one for that sound that was not generally used by the Chinese. They explained it would be more proper that way, I agreed.
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Re: Who gave you your Chinese name?
From the Beijingkids magazine, Beijing 101 feature in the October issue
How to choose a Chinese name
Now’s your chance to give yourself a new name, hopefully one that you like and locals can pronounce. Some foreigners try to choose Chinese characters that sound close to their English name but have no meaning, for example, Isabella as伊莎贝拉(yi1 sha1 bei4 la1) or Paul as 保罗 (Bao3 Luo2). Another option is to choose simple words like大山 (Da Shang, Big Mountain) – names that are easy for Chinese people to remember.
The ideal name sounds like the Western name and has a good meaning in Chinese; one example is Lily and 莉莉 (Li4Li4), which is related to the word for jasmine in Chinese. Take inspiration from Chinese parents, who sometimes choose names related to their children’s birthday and their wishes (This explains why many Chinese boys are named 聪, Cong 1, meaning smart). Always check with a native speaker – you don’t want the name to have a weird meaning or be a taboo. – Cecily Huang
My friend gave me mine, although my teachers tried to give me names that sounded like my Western name -- strange sounding.
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Re: Who gave you your Chinese name?
I found my Chinese name (赛玛) on this site :
http://www.chinese-tools.com/names
And most people like it
I guess it could be useful for those desperately looking for a name !
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Re: Who gave you your Chinese name?
My mother-in-law gave me mine. She's from Shandong province (not sure if that adds any significance to the name she chose for me).
My Chinese name is 美珍 (mei zhen)。It means beautiful and precious . I quite like it. I suggest you have a close Chinese friend help you pick yours - I agree "Mrs. (insert husban'd name here) is a bit lack-luster! I've also found that different people have totally different opinions about what the best name is for you. I'm constantly having people tell me I should choose a different "zhen" character. Or that my name is "很可爱“ (hen ke ai - very cute) which isn't what I was aiming for with my name. But I've learned to take the good with the bad - just choose a name you feel best represents you.
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