Giving child an English name
Discussion
First of all a bit of background, my wife and I are both ethnically Chinese and are settled in the UK. I've lived in the UK since I was 4 so grew up here, she's been here for 15 years. We both have Chinese names, never understood the fascination of Chinese students coming here and naming themselves (sometimes ridiculous) English names.
We've just had a super cute little boy and plan on giving him a Chinese name for a first name. Most people really like the name but there are some (my parents included) who strongly think we should give him an English name because otherwise he'll be bullied, discriminated against for jobs etc. But neither me nor my wife have experienced any negative behaviour due to our names so don't see the point.
So what do the PH masses think? The name will be relatively easy to pronounce in English and won't be Linglong, Dingdong or something like that.
We've just had a super cute little boy and plan on giving him a Chinese name for a first name. Most people really like the name but there are some (my parents included) who strongly think we should give him an English name because otherwise he'll be bullied, discriminated against for jobs etc. But neither me nor my wife have experienced any negative behaviour due to our names so don't see the point.
So what do the PH masses think? The name will be relatively easy to pronounce in English and won't be Linglong, Dingdong or something like that.
Shaoxter said:
First of all a bit of background, my wife and I are both ethnically Chinese and are settled in the UK. I've lived in the UK since I was 4 so grew up here, she's been here for 15 years. We both have Chinese names, never understood the fascination of Chinese students coming here and naming themselves (sometimes ridiculous) English names.
We've just had a super cute little boy and plan on giving him a Chinese name for a first name. Most people really like the name but there are some (my parents included) who strongly think we should give him an English name because otherwise he'll be bullied, discriminated against for jobs etc. But neither me nor my wife have experienced any negative behaviour due to our names so don't see the point.
So what do the PH masses think? The name will be relatively easy to pronounce in English and won't be Linglong, Dingdong or something like that.
It's your son so I would do exactly as you please!We've just had a super cute little boy and plan on giving him a Chinese name for a first name. Most people really like the name but there are some (my parents included) who strongly think we should give him an English name because otherwise he'll be bullied, discriminated against for jobs etc. But neither me nor my wife have experienced any negative behaviour due to our names so don't see the point.
So what do the PH masses think? The name will be relatively easy to pronounce in English and won't be Linglong, Dingdong or something like that.
It can't be worse than some of the ridiculous English names you hear just make sure it can't be shortened into an abusive nickname which it sounds like you have considered.
Wouldn't it sound stranger if he was called a normal English name? Like Dave when you both have Chinese names? Far more scope for bullying there id say.
Wouldn't it sound stranger if he was called a normal English name? Like Dave when you both have Chinese names? Far more scope for bullying there id say.
Why not give them both? We have Chinese friends who have Chinese names but have adopted English names too. They also gave their kids English sounding names but they chose ones so obscure, if they were going to get bullied over a name, they are just as likely to get stick for their English names!
My equivalent manager in China also goes by an English name, it's more to the benefit of Westerners who have difficulty pronouncing their real name than it is to the individuals themselves. I'd be more than happy to learn how to pronounce and spell their real names but maybe other more lazy westerners just want to call everyone something easy for them. It's entirely your call if you think it will help them over here or not but I'd be disappointed if kids at school picked on them for their real names.
My equivalent manager in China also goes by an English name, it's more to the benefit of Westerners who have difficulty pronouncing their real name than it is to the individuals themselves. I'd be more than happy to learn how to pronounce and spell their real names but maybe other more lazy westerners just want to call everyone something easy for them. It's entirely your call if you think it will help them over here or not but I'd be disappointed if kids at school picked on them for their real names.
The days when chinese persons were just called by their initials are over thankfully, I used to know Li Ka Shing in Hong Kong and my other chinese friends were surprised that I didnt call him KS Li or his given name of David.
If you feel the need to give your child an English name as well as a the Chinese name, I suggest a longer first name, posh families often name their children the same as a former king.
If you feel the need to give your child an English name as well as a the Chinese name, I suggest a longer first name, posh families often name their children the same as a former king.
Edited by Robbo 27 on Wednesday 11th January 16:16
I remember at my apprenticeship there was a kid called Sin Hang Liu.
Someone coined him sin hanging willy which was funny.
I think his "English" name was Eric.
I don't really think it matters, but if you are going into big hardcore banking or doctors or whatever then being called Steve or Andrew is probably better than Shishuan or !Xianxiang.
Someone coined him sin hanging willy which was funny.
I think his "English" name was Eric.
I don't really think it matters, but if you are going into big hardcore banking or doctors or whatever then being called Steve or Andrew is probably better than Shishuan or !Xianxiang.
I like idea of one English name and one Chinese name (whichever way round) and that way he can pick and choose when he's older. Congrats by the way!
Shaoxter said:
never understood the fascination of Chinese students coming here and naming themselves (sometimes ridiculous) English names.
Why do they do that? It's never John, or Robert. It's Jerry or Raymond. I knew a guy at uni who had travelled over from Hong Kong and decided to call himself Calvin, after Calvin Klein. Unfortunately due to his accent and our hearing, we thought he said Kelvin, and from that day on that's what he was known as. Shaoxter said:
a super cute baby
Chinese confirmed 
I have a foreign surname which is long and difficult to spell. We chose a middle name for our baby which would also work as a fairly standard surname. So if he grows up and gets tired of spelling his real surname constantly, he can use the middle name in its place.
Maybe you could do something similar and give him the choice? For example Dingdong Daniel Zhang
go for it, we're a very different culture in the UK to what we once were. I'm English born to Latvian and German parents. I have a highly odd first name, but actually a really nice one on balance.
I stood out in the 70's/80's, white kid, all white schools......... but these days, in my view, the typical white British person seems to grab a bag of scrabble letters and name their child any old nonsense that falls out of them,
genuinely (in my job) I've seen children called
jaxon, barclay, kyal, shaniqua, shelby jo, lulabelle, beau belles............ it just goes on and on. No parent is helping their child by doing this.
I stood out in the 70's/80's, white kid, all white schools......... but these days, in my view, the typical white British person seems to grab a bag of scrabble letters and name their child any old nonsense that falls out of them,
genuinely (in my job) I've seen children called
jaxon, barclay, kyal, shaniqua, shelby jo, lulabelle, beau belles............ it just goes on and on. No parent is helping their child by doing this.
t in Chinese when we say it with the wrong intonation!BoRED S2upid said:
Wouldn't it sound stranger if he was called a normal English name? Like Dave when you both have Chinese names?
That's exactly what 95% of Chinese people in the UK do. Kind of abandoning your culture IMO, and I've seen Chinese women with English first names marry an English guy and then they have a 100% English name!xjay1337 said:
I don't really think it matters, but if you are going into big hardcore banking or doctors or whatever then being called Steve or Andrew is probably better than Shishuan or !Xianxiang.
Didn't hinder me 
Although my name isn't that obscure.I grew up in rural North Wales - as Welsh as it gets - with a Scottish first name.
It was a pain in the arse.
Your son, your choice to call him what you like, but I'd counsel choosing something easy to pronounce for English people, or easy to shorten so it's easy to pronounce for English people. I'm actually called "Don" now which works everywhere.
I grew up with mates with names like Iolo, Ieuan and Sian. Great in North Wales, forever helping people pronounce 'em elsewhere.
It was a pain in the arse.
Your son, your choice to call him what you like, but I'd counsel choosing something easy to pronounce for English people, or easy to shorten so it's easy to pronounce for English people. I'm actually called "Don" now which works everywhere.
I grew up with mates with names like Iolo, Ieuan and Sian. Great in North Wales, forever helping people pronounce 'em elsewhere.
Shaoxter said:
We both have Chinese names, never understood the fascination of Chinese students coming here and naming themselves (sometimes ridiculous) English names.
It's cool to have an English name. It's exotic, different and sometimes it appeals to people's vanities?To digress from the question a little bit, some English like exotic stuff too - only this time it's Chinese tattoos...
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