Chinese name.. What to call myself?

[YingTao]

I don't want a transliteration or my English name because frankly I don't like it in English nor Chinese.

My Chinese friends 'named' me 樱桃 but that's just a nickname and not very professional sounding, isn't it? I like the way it is written though.

Within China I would be hoping to work in business so I need a name that perhaps sounds stronger...

I thought maybe 明霞 (get it flame emperor, red cloud?)

[YingTao]

I should also mention that the meaning of my name is 'victorious ship'. I'm not sure how to work that into Chinese.

凯船?

[doraemon]

明霞 sounds like a good name, but there's already someone really famous in China called 伏明霞. Do you think it's a good idea to be named after a famous person who basically everyone in China knows? What's your surname going to be by the way? Do you like 2 character or 3 character names?

[YingTao]

Oh no I googled it An Olympian haha. I wouldn't want to live in her shadow forever.

Also I posted (but it hasn't showed up) that the meaning of my name is 'victorious ship'.

I like two character names but maybe that is just because I have never heard a three character name. Are they less common?

For a surname I though maybe 洪 or 尹

[doraemon]

凯舟 would be a better choice for 'victorious boat'. 舟 is much more commonly used in names than 船.

[YingTao]

How does that sound from a Chinese standpoint? I don't want to seem super foreign...It's a little hard to say with 尹 would I change the ton of kai since they are both thirds? Sounds a bit like driving a car to me.

[creamyhorror]

I like two character names but maybe that is just because I have never heard a three character name. Are they less common?

Seriously? I thought 3-character names were more common in China! Everyone in Singapore uses 3 characters, and I get the impression Taiwan leans heavily toward 3 characters too.

[YingTao]

I'm not including the surname btw. So far every Chinese person I have met only has a two character first name (a few had one).

Of course everyone I know is from North or central China. It might be a regional thing?

[doraemon]

There used to be very few two character names (including surname) in China until about a few decades ago. Nowadays, they're much more popular but I still think there's more three character ones. Mmmm...it could be a regional thing I suppose, my family's from northern China and most people I know have three character names and a lot of people I know that come from southern China have two characters.

凯舟 sounds pretty good, quite "epic" if you know what I mean. For some reason, the 舟 makes the name sound really Chinese to me so don't worry, it doesn't sound foreign at all. 洪 means flood in Chinese, so it would fit in perfectly with a name meaning "victorious boat". You can say how the boat's victorious because it survived a flood or something and relate that back to yourself by saying how you have the ability to triumph over difficulties in life (metaphor for 'flood'). Or something like that...

尹 is quite an obscure surname and it's third tone as well (awkward to pronounce). I think second tone surnames sound the best.

[YingTao]

洪凯舟, hm sounds pretty good, I like how there is a nice theme.

Hehe I guess all of my friends are pretty young now that I think about it. I tried looking up information on Chinese names but all I got was stuff about tattoos. Maybe I'll make a blog post about it and see if I can find some people with three character names.

[skylee]

洪凱舟 is a masculine name.

I agree that 舟 sounds much better. But then it sounds small too, so it doesn't really go well with the idea "victorious". I think you would need a 航母 to match victorious, or perhaps a 艦. (PS - just in case someone might ask, 艦 is not a good word for names IMHO.)

明霞 is a very pretty and feminine name. Nevermind Mrs Leung.

尹 is not obscure.

[Lu]

I like 尹 as a surname, and it's not that obscure. But I agree that 洪 would go better with the victorious ship :-)

Almost everyone in Taiwan has a three-character name. Two-character names are common enough on the mainland though.

[YingTao]

I think maybe having a stronger more masculine name would be better for business but not something so strong that it is overwhelming. Perhaps I am a petite victorious ship? haha

I don't want to seem pompous, especially when I'm naming myself.

I do like 明霞 but it would be hard to share a name with the same characters as an Olympian. Though it might start a conversation or two.

I'd say a masculine name would compensate for my personality.

[xiaocai]

What's wrong with 明霞? Seriously I don't think all the other 明霞s in China would necessarily feel that they are living under the shadow of the used-to-be-famous Olympian. It is a nice name, use it if you like it.

[YingTao]

It is a bit of a matter of being a foreigner. For example there are lots of people named Micheal Jackson in North America, they aren't usually named after the singer. If you came across a Chinese man who recently immigrated to North America who had named himself Micheal Jackson might you think he did it due to the singer?

For example a boy I knew in high school (whos parents were immigrants) was named Cher and received incessant teasing and questions about whether or not he was a fan. So there may be many Chinese 王菲 but for me to carry the same name might be a little strange...

Of course if my surname was very different maybe no one would notice haha. 洪凱舟 is starting to grow on me a tad.

Goodness naming yourself is hard!

[YingTao]

I should also mention a suggested name from my blog: 小罗莉... That's just Lori in Chinese isn't it? Sounds a bit too much like loli to me >_> I don't think I'll use it. Strange that someone would suggest a different English name

Edit: Wait I think I got it

尹睿雨

Edited April 15, 2010 at 07:44 AM by YingTao

[Shi Tong]

Or why not go for another Chinese word which sounds the same if you like the sound of the name 明霞?

I'm not a conoseur of Chinese names.. in fact, I'd probably be the last person to ask, but you could go for:

ming2:

蓂 (lucky place)

榠 (Chinese quince)

xia2:

侠 (knight errant/ brave)

蕸 (lily leaves)

As I say, I dont really know about Chinese names, but you might be able to use one of these words?!

[Lu]

I don't think 侠 is very suitable for names, especially not for women.

小罗莉 would work for a nickname, but not as a full name. I guess 罗莉 could be a full name.

[doraemon]

I think maybe having a stronger more masculine name would be better for business but not something so strong that it is overwhelming. Perhaps I am a petite victorious ship? haha

That's exactly what I thought as well! Having a name that suggests a tough and resilient character is pretty good for business in my opinion... It's not pompous or anything either...

Wait I think I got it

尹睿雨

Is that what you've decided on?

[skylee]

睿 is very good. I have a friend called 睿敏, excellent name.

But I am not sure about the combination with 雨. It sounds a bit odd.

BTW I know someone called 雨恆 and I keep wondering what happend when he was born.