'In China, My Name is ...'

A constant conversation companion, the logic behind how Chinese people choose their names is always an interesting one. Now two authors, Valerie Blanco and Ellen Feberwee, delve into the Chinese consciousness to see what exactly makes someone choose the name Evil or Apple with their book ‘In China, My Name is …’

We tracked down Blanco and Feberwee from their competition on ChinaSMACK to find out more about what went into the book and how we can get a copy.

CNNGo: What are some of the most interesting names you’ve come across in your research?

That’s actually a tough question. What made some names interesting for us was not only the name in itself, but also what it meant and the connection with the person, the whole concept basically.

 

Some names were simple but had a great story behind them. For example, Ben is a simple name, in the Western world it has biblical roots. A Chinese Ben, however, took the name from the Chinese word “ben” which means “stupid" since he doesn't think he's the most clever boy around.

In our book we simply ask the question, “Do you have an English name?” Behind this question lies more answers and insights than you would imagine about China, with implications about the country’s past and future.

CNNGo: Can you give us some of the more "interesting" examples?

Some names we came across were indeed very striking because they were so different from names we know in Western countries. Rubberpixy, Party, Morning, Futt, Mint and Jessie Potter are some of the best. 

CNNGo: What’s one thing that you guys learned during your research that surprised you?

We were surprised to learn that older people had an English name as well. We really only expected that China's younger generation would be caught up with English names. John Franklin Yu was the oldest person we interviewed and must have been over 75 years old. Franklin comes from Franklin Roosevelt and Franklin Anderson. We loved talking to this man, he was so passionate about life.

CNNGo: Your book says that Chinese people express themselves through their English names. What is someone with the name “Apple” trying to express?

The Apple we met named herself that because she often dresses in green and becomes red like an apple when she feels shy and blushes. There are many people with the name Apple in China and each with their own reason for choosing it. It could have a connection with the computer brand they like or be a direct translation of a person's Chinese name.

CNNGo: We’ve met people with the English names “Kinky,” “One” and “Evil.” As name analysis experts, what do you think were the motivations behind these choices?

Talking about identity expressions here! These are great examples. Let’s see. Kinky is either really kinky or has aspirations to become so. Influencing your destiny was one of the reasons people gave for choosing their names in our book.

The reasons behind the name One is obvious, this is a very self-centered individual.

As for Evil … we strongly recommend to stay away from this person. [Laughs] Clearly joking here. People that come up with such special names really want to stand out and express their identity. At least with these three people you know what you are getting: kinky self-centered evilness.

CNNGo: What are the most popular English name choices for Chinese people (male and female) right now?

Famous people's names seem to be popular choices. During our research we often spoke to Bills and Billys who want to become as famous and successful as Bill Clinton or Bill Gates.

The Chinese culture is very group-oriented, collectiveness is still how the Chinese society is built. People want to be an individual and express themselves, but within their social group they don’t want to stick out. Picking a name like Obama would be too obvious, it would too clearly show what you want to achieve in life. Bill is a common name so the reasons behind choosing it aren't so obvious. Today you see a lot of popular names similar to Bill like Michael and Jackson. For women we'd love to see more names like Beyonce. She is definitely a power woman! We need more of those in the world.

CNNGo: What will be a Chinese English naming trend in 2010?

In Shanghai some people are definitely going to name themselves “Expo” because of the Shanghai 2010 Expo. You saw this same kind of trend during the Beijing Olympics 2008 as well.

CNNGo: Do you think foreigners consider different criteria when choosing their Chinese names?

It is almost the same process as Chinese people go through actually. Some non-Chinese names are difficult to pronounce so foreigners choose a Chinese name for easier communication. It was great to see our foreign friends choose their names, they're like a second identity. You want this identity to sound good and have an interesting meaning.

CNNGo: What’s a question you’d like to be asked about this book but haven’t been?

Are you becoming millionaires by selling this book?

CNNGo: So have you?

Unfortunately not, so please buy the book! [laughs] Visit our website www.chinese-identity.com.