Should I change my name?

[xiaojiang216]

大家好：

I have been recently thinking about whether or not I should change my Chinese name, which is 陶澄逍. My Chinese surname sounds similar to my English surname, so I think I will keep it.

澄逍 sounds nothing like my real name and were just characters that I liked at the time when I first started studying Chinese. They also have the same radicals as the characters of someone's name that I once knew. I feel that my name might also a little 拗口.

My question is: should I change my name? Do students of Chinese often do this after studying Chinese for many years and having met many Chinese friends? I think the transition may not be too bad, because most people call me 小陶. But what happens when I get old? 老陶 sounds a bit ridiculous.

Anyway, my English name is Randall (Randy for short, but I think I won't go by that name anymore when I get older, especially with my UK friends). The first name that came into my head was 陶然 but that sounds really girly. (Yes, I am a male.) Any ideas? Thanks so much!!

Sincerely,

小陶 (at least while I'm still young)

[Kenny同志]

The first name that came into my head was 陶然 but that sounds really girly.

How come? I don't think so. 白居易's poem 与梦得沽酒闲饮且约后期 reads:

少时犹不忧生计，老去谁能惜酒钱？

共把十千沽一斗，相看七十欠三年。

闲征雅令穷经史，醉听清吟胜管弦。

更待菊黄家酿熟，共君一醉一陶然。

陶渊明's 时运 reads:

邈邈遐景，载欣载瞩。称心而言，人亦易足。挥兹一觴，陶然自乐。

陶然 means happy and carefree. It sounds to me very 儒雅 and 超然. It isn't girly at all. A very good name for a male indeed.

Edited March 16, 2010 at 11:46 AM by kenny2006woo

[xiaojiang216]

kenny2006woo: 陶然 is actually not my name, but an alternative that I have thought of. My current name is 陶澄逍. But you think 陶然 is okay?

What about 陶仁 and perhaps something after that? Or do you think my name (陶澄逍) is fine as it is? 陶仁道？Oops, I think that is a famous intellectual. I do enjoy reading Daoist and Confucianist texts, though!

Do you have any other ideas? Thanks!

Edited March 16, 2010 at 11:30 AM by xiaojiang216

[Kenny同志]

Well, I am not an expert on Chinese names, but I know choosing a Chinese name, especially a good one, is usually quite a complicated issue. Besides the connotation or allusion of the name, it also depends on your preferences, in other words, what impression do you want your name to give.

Would you explain you name 陶澄逍 to me? Does it carry something special?

[xiaojiang216]

As I mentioned earlier, the name 澄逍 had the same radicals (氵and 辶) as someone I was friends with and tutored me when I first started learning Chinese. I also chose these two characters because of their meaning (pure and easygoing) and also how they looked.

[Kenny同志]

I think your current name is okay. My nickname is 喻步医 which was given by myself. My mother's surname is 喻 which sounds the same as 欲（to plan）. 步 is to step into and 医 means the medical circle. So my nickname means to plan to step into the medical circle, a dream I used to pursue but did't come true. In my view, as long as you enjoy your name and it doesn't carry anything that's undesirable. It is okay.

PS: I always think my nickname is very cool.

Edited March 17, 2010 at 01:42 AM by kenny2006woo

[skylee]

I think 陶澄逍 is good, maybe a bit too good (you see those of us who were named by our parents very often got very dull names). It is not too pretentious. It doesn't sound bad to my ears either.

陶仁 is also good. Very natural and meaningful. Nothing is better than being 仁. But if you don't have to I think it is best not to change your name.

PS - I find 陶然 a bit pretentious, somewhat like the actor's name 黎明. Can't explain why. It is a good name. But if you don't have to, again, I think it is best not to change your name.

[Outofin]

陶澄逍 sounds a good name to me, too.

[xiaojiang216]

Thanks for everyone's input! I guess the name stays!