Asian students with weternised names...

[costargh]

Just a question, if anyone knows the answer:

Is there a certain way that Asian students derive their western name from their actual name? Or do they just choose a name that tickles their fancy?

In quite a few of my tutes I've had international students who've asked to be called western names.

Eg

Zhow Zhing= Andy

Some very Asian name= Matthew

I'm just curious

[TrueTears]

lol

[costargh]

So it's just 'chosen'?

There's no translation sorta thing?

Like, in greek most names would be able to be translated.

I'm just gonna write some examples phonetically because I can't spell in greek (fail)

Like Banayodi = Peter
Gost-an-dino- Costa
Your-go- George

[TrueTears]

nope no meaning at all lol. I just liked the sound of my name so i chose it

[TonyHem]

I think its random

[champorado]

I don't think it has to be derived from their native name. I thought it was just a named that they liked? There was a person who's name was Jihwan who insisted on being called 'J', though, which I thought was pretty cool.

I think it's kinda cool being able to choose your own name like that. If ever I go on exchange, I'm gonna insist people refer to me as Funkhouser.

[AppleThief]

From what I've seen they (usually) don't derive their western name from their Asian name.

Oh, but I've known someone called JJ which was their original name's inititals, and someone called "Emjay" (lol) which was formed from their original name (I'm reluctant to actually say the names so sorry if this doesn't make sense)

[Gloamglozer]

I think Asians just choose a name that takes their fancy.  For example, I know a person whose Chinese name is Jia Ming and when he migrated to Australia, he took the name "Luke".

Most of the times, it's pretty hard (if not impossible) to derive Chinese names unless of course if you're "Da Wei" (David), "Bao Luo" (Paul), which is hardly likely is most circumstances.

[shinny]

Surnames get Westernised though. The reason why many Chinese names sound the same is because they're just rough phonetic approximations of the same word. In some cases, this depends on dialect, but in others, it's just different ways of writing it. For example, Chan and Chen are the same Chinese character, but from different dialects, and I've seen Lo and Law be from the same name too. This actually gets even more interesting when these Westernised names become even more Westernised through several generations...for example, I've seen the surname Lui become Looey (well, something very similar, I'm also reluctant to use real names).

[Flaming_Arrow]

dam i wish i could chose my own name

[Edmund]

My high school (international/private) had almost 50% Chinese from China. And they all had the most common names: Mark, Tony, James, Shane, Jack, Tom, Harry. Probably it would be easier for us to remember their names.

No teacher would like to try reading a class roll full of Chinese names....

[brendan]

what if your asian name is Phuc Dat Bich

[ninwa]

Sometimes there are phonetic reasons ... part of the reason my parents chose Nina was because it's quite similar to my Chinese name. Thank god because otherwise they would've called me Daisy, I mean wtf =_=

My brother's name however has nothing to do with his Chinese name, it was the nurse's choice

I also know someone who was called Mark because it was the easiest name to pronounce for his parents

[costargh]

Yeh, in relation to the phonetic thing... it didn't seem to be consistant with all students I found at Uni.

Some would have an asian name that sounded phonetically similar to their westernised name, while others just sounded like they picked a name out of a hat.

[Edmund]

what if your asian name is Phuc Dat Bich

Pho Phuc Lai