Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Yoshiyuki]

Hi. I would like you to answer my question if you are Chinese or knowledgeabe about it. A friend of mine told me the other day that his Chinese friends, who were studying English with him in the UK, had a so-called English name other than their Chinese name. What are those names for? How do they make them? Are they officially valid?
Thank you in advance. Yoshiyuki.

[CP]

Dear Yoshiyuki,

Yes, it's true. Many Chinese people add an English name (or nickname). You could do it, too, if you wanted to. In fact, in the U.S., anyone can use any name he or she likes, so long as it is not used to defraud other people. I could call myself Jack Watson or Tom Davis if I wanted to, and so could you. (If I wanted to make the change official, I would need to go to court and get a judge to approve it, but usually the request is granted.)

I believe they usually start using an English name in school. The English teachers ask them to choose English names. Sometimes it's just because their English-speaking friends do such a poor job of pronouncing the Chinese name -- we aren't very good at getting the tones right.

Sometimes the English name is taken from an admired person -- there are Janes and Toms who just liked Jane Eyre or Thomas Jefferson (or even Tom Cruise). Sometimes they are just made up -- I know a Wingo and a Cordei, both of which names were invented by the owners.

Go ahead and give yourself an English name if you want. It's officially OK!
_________________
You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[2006]

Hi Yoshiyuki

There is another way Chinese people choose can an English first name. They can pick a name that's similar to their Chinese name in sound or in meaning.
For example, a lady whose given name is Mei can take the English name May, which sounds the same except for tone stress. One with the name Yu, meaning jade, can take the name Jade.

I think their real names remain their official names; their English names are mainly for convenience because English speakers struggle not only with the tones but also with the pronunciation of the Chinese names.
Of course many people who study English just like to have an English name and especially so if they are living or studying in an English-speaking country.

By the way, I am in Canada.

[Yoshiyuki]

Thank you for your reply, CP and 2006. It is very informative. Maybe I should come up with my English name and try it. Thank you again!
Yoshiyuki