What's In a Name?

Despite having a relatively weak grasp on the language, non-native speakers of a language often write and speak quite poetically; often this comes from using words that native speakers don't traditionally use, whereas in other instances it simply reflects a different way of viewing the world endemic to a particular culture. I have already noticed this in the writing of my students, particularly in an assignment in which I asked them to explain why their parents had given them their Chinese names, and why they had chosen their English names. While many American parents, especially today, tend to name their children according to the fads and popular monikers of the day, in China the process is much more significant and meaningful.

Here are some of my favorite passages from students about their Chinese names:

"'Lei'" means 'bud', and so my parents hoped to see me grow up gradually just lie the flowers unfolding. Just so simple. My English name, 'Schmily', is an acronym for 'See how much I love you."

"'Yang' in Chinese means the 'vast ocean', so I guess they may want my life to be like the ocean, vast, and with a lot of hope."

"Because 'Zhen' means 'a treasure' or 'something valuable', you can see from that how deeply my mother loves me. I love my Chinese name, because it is [sic] my parents gave me. Each time I write it, I can feel the deepest love from my parents."

"'Xing stands for the star, they hope me to be as bright as the stars above the sky and they hope me to be a very great person just like a star among people. 'Bo" means 'waves' in English. My parents want me to be active, not to be very quiet or shy. In addition, 'Bo' stands for power. My parents gave me the name in the hope that I can have a great effect among people in the future."

"'Xiao Mi' is a kind of crop, with another name 'Gu Zi', which was eaten in ancient China. Maybe my grandmother, who gave me my Chinese name, hoped that I won't suffer from starving."

"'Xuelian' is a kind of beautiful flower in snow mountain. He hoped me that I would be a beautiful and persevering, hard-working person."

"'Qian' is given by my grandmother. Because when I was born, my health was not very good. So she wanted to give me a name that can predicate the good health I would get. After that, she gave me my name, 'Qian', that means 'grass', because grass is full of vital energies."

"My Chinese name sounds like a boy's name. I think that my parents wish that I were a boy."


On choosing an English name:

"In my opinion, Crystal is very beautiful and pure. I do not want to live a very complicated life, so I hope I can be just as transparent as crystal."

"My English name is 'Eleven'. It means the number '11' in English, and the two '1' always appear together. Just like two close, good friends. In modern times, it is hard to find a real friend, but this number can give us confidence."

"I began to learn about success, so I did what I could do to achieve my goal step by step. 'Mark': this word has the meaning of 'milestone', so I gave it as my English name."


Occasionally, the translation from Chinese to English produces some odd utterances:

When asked what she hoped to do after completion of university, one girl responded, "I hope I can go to the prairie with my lover." I believe a better translation would have sounded more like, "I hope to travel to the countryside with my boyfriend."