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Discussion Groups / British English / May 2006who can help me for my english name?
well, i am a chinese guy, my name in chinese is: Guo Linlin. Guo is my family name,and Linlin is my given name. now, i wanna hav an english name.but i hav some difficult in this. i`ll give some clues below,and i hope friends as you from english country can give me some advice. as i know, some hongkong people use Kuo instead of "Guo"(??), so i think in my new english name, my family name is still using Kuo. the very thing is my given name. "Lin Lin"(??????means forest in chinese by its meaning. the most favorite name is(ranked by myself): 1,Linlin Kuo 2,Forest Kuo (i think you might hav watched Forrest Gump,so what`s the meanding of forrest??) 3,Samuel Kuo(how do you like samuel?plz tell me) 4,David Kuo(i think the pronounciation of david in english is cool and sweet, ha) no matter if you can help me, i`ll give my most thanks to you. of course ,plz give some advice. thanks > well, i am a chinese guy, my name in chinese is: Guo Linlin. Guo is my > family name,and Linlin is my given name. now, i wanna hav an english [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > 4,David Kuo(i think the pronounciation of david in english is cool and > sweet, ha) Many years ago, when I was a teacher, I had somes student who had combined English and Chinese names. One example's Chinese name was Ng Shu Kay. His English name was Adrian Ng. On formal documents he wrote his name as Adrian Ng Shu Kay. In your case I'd make the following observations: 1. In taking an English name I don't see any need to change the form of your family name (from Guo to Kuo) unless you particularly want to. 2. I think there are advantages of taking an easily-recognisable English given name. Some people, I'm one, when they come across a Chinese name are aware that in its Chinese form the family name comes first, but also aware that some Chinese people in England reverse the parts of the name (as "Linlin Kuo" in your case). So then when we come across a Chinese name for the first time (in a UK context), we don't know whether we're seeing it in its original Chinese form or in an Anglicised form, because we don't know enough about Chinese names to spot which part is the family name. So I'd suggest that "Linlin Kuo" wouldn't be particularly helpful in avoiding confusion. 3. "Forrest" in English has no particular meaning. It's just a name. I guess that historically it is derived from "forest", but any direct connection is lost in the mists of history. Somebody will probably come along in a minute and prove me wrong about that! 4. However "Forrest" is a very unusual given name, ocurring more often as a family name (in the UK, I don't know about anywhere else), so if you chose that one most people would immediately think of Forrest Gump, which may or may not be what you want. 5. Some people choosing English names choose a given name that sounds a bit like their original one, or at least has the same initial. In your case, "Lionel" or "Leslie" could be possibilities. 5. If you like the sound of "David", I'd say go for it. -- Mike Stevens narrowboat Felis Catus III web site www.mike-stevens.co.uk No man is an island. So is Man. thanks, Mike,how do you think about "Linlin Guo " or "Guo Linlin(original chinese from)"? what i want is is a name that make the people feel weird. to be better, it`ll conform to english name`s rules. thanks again. LINLIN > what i want is is a name that NOT make the people feel weird. to be better, 09:53, martedì 14 marzo 2006, LINLIN: > LINLIN 写道： > >> what i want is is a name that NOT make the people >> feel weird. to be better, Linus?  Signature°¿° > 09:53, martedì 14 marzo 2006, LINLIN: > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Linus? Lindsay? ha ,i know Linus is the man who wrote the Linux operating system, and this OS was named for him,that is linus+unix. Linus is a Finn, is "linus" offen used in Britain or US? > ha ,i know Linus is the man who wrote the Linux operating system, and > this OS was named for him,that is linus+unix. Linus is a Finn, is > "linus" offen used in Britain or US? The USA, yes - Britain, no. SignatureJohn Briggs >ha ,i know Linus is the man who wrote the Linux operating system, and >this OS was named for him,that is linus+unix. Linus is a Finn, is >"linus" offen used in Britain or US? It's rare in Britain. It may be more common in the US, since one of the children in the "Peanuts" strip is called Linus, and I wouldn't have expected Charles Schulz to have used a rare name. SignatureJohn Hall "Hegel was right when he said that we learn from history that man can never learn anything from history." George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) John Hall <nospam_nov03@jhall.co.uk>: >>ha ,i know Linus is the man who wrote the Linux operating system, and >>this OS was named for him,that is linus+unix. Linus is a Finn, is [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > children in the "Peanuts" strip is called Linus, and I wouldn't have > expected Charles Schulz to have used a rare name. I don't think it's that common in either. Offhand, I can only think of one American Linus (Pauling; chemist) and one British one (Roache; actor). b. Signature<bas@bas.me.uk> <URL:http://bas.me.uk/> Enjoy responsibly. > well, i am a chinese guy, my name in chinese is: Guo Linlin. Guo is my > family name,and Linlin is my given name. now, i wanna hav an english > name. Be proud of your Chinese name. There's really no need for an English one, as long as the English (and Americans, and Australians..) pronounce it acceptably. Linlin sounds fine to me, though perhaps the way I would say it (flat tone, equal emphasis on the syllables) would make it something silly in Chinese- I just don't know, but neither does (almost) anyone else over here! Most people are quite used to the idea of the first name being the family name too. And we can cope with Guo as easily as Kuo, again with the warning above. So how would you say my name in Chinese, and would it mean something silly? Please feel free to tell the truth! Paul Burke hi, paul,thanks for your reply. "Lin", in chinese, we pronounce it like "lean"[li:n] in english. > well, i am a chinese guy, my name in chinese is: Guo Linlin. Guo is > my family name,and Linlin is my given name. now, i wanna hav an [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > me) 4,David Kuo(i think the pronounciation of david in english is > cool and sweet, ha) Etymologically Forest is derived from the Latin word for 'out side' or foreign. Samuel is a Hebrew "Name of the Lord" and David means Beloved. All "Christian" & Hebraic, Latin, Greek & European names have specific meanings, though most people are not familiar with the meaning of their name. Which is one of the nice things about the Chinese name, you already know what it means. What does the Family name "Kuo" mean? My own name "Joseph" means 'he shall give' unfortunately i got Paul tacked on to it by the Nuns and so my first two names "Joseph Paul" mean "He shall give little" Paul being a Greek diminutive meaning 'little'. Warren means protection Stephen means crown Robert means bright glory Philip means lover of horses Owen means young warrior Neil means champion Kenneth means handsome Grant means large or great Alexander or the Celtic version Aleister means leader of men Andrew means manly Aaron means light For some reason i just like the name Alexander or Aleister or Andrew Kuo. --- JL > no matter if you can help me, i`ll give my most thanks to you. of > course ,plz give some advice. thanks TO JL Although I have work as sales assistant in an imp&exp company for years,I didn't use the English name until I was told to update my email account. The main reason it that many of the HK ppl are employed by the branch office of european company ,and these ppl who can speak both English and Chinese often make mistakes on our Chinese name and they often write the wrong email address too. That is why I am ask to choose a very simple word "Kevin" as my English name . However, I cannot make sure whether the word "Von" can be used as my family name. I know the pronunciation of "Von" is the same as my real family name in chinese, but it seems that "von" is one of the word based on Germany words. Now I need to write the mails to European customers directly and I don't think it is a good idea to use a name with sensitivity in politics or culture among the european countries. BTW, In my opinion, the companies in UK are used to founding the branches in HK for the market of fast east. however,I cannot make sure it. Thank you! Kevin Dept 2, Homecare Team. -------------------------------- > TO JL > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > However, I cannot make sure whether the word "Von" can be used as my family > name. There used to be a department (possibly a grocery) store in southern california called "Von's" however it is most often associated with German & Austrian names, originally meaning of 'of' or from but later signifying the nobility. And spelt with a small 'v' as in Paul von Hindenburg > I know the pronunciation of "Von" is the same as my real family name in > chinese, but it seems that "von" is one of the word based on Germany words. > > Now I need to write the mails to European customers directly and I don't > think it is a good idea to use a name with sensitivity in politics or > culture among the european countries. It might seem pretentious to some people if coupled with another name but by itself should not be controversial. Isn't there some sort of tradition in China of people referring to themselves as "men of Han"? if so, then Von Han might be interesting for its literal meaning, 'of Han' but it is unusual enough to elicit comment on its own. --- JL > BTW, In my opinion, the companies in UK are used to founding the branches in > HK for the market of fast east. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Dept 2, Homecare Team. > -------------------------------- Thank you! > The main reason it that many of the HK ppl are employed by the branch office > of european company ,and these ppl who can speak both English and Chinese > often make mistakes on our Chinese name and they often write the wrong email > address too. Be proud of your Chinese name. Pressuring you to change your name to something with a more English sound is just a form of cultural imperialism, which I thought was far more common to Americans. I hope that Europeans are more enlightened. > That is why I am ask to choose a very simple word "Kevin" as my English name Are you sure that Kevin is a good choice? It would be low down my personal list of names to choose. > However, I cannot make sure whether the word "Von" can be used as my family > name. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > think it is a good idea to use a name with sensitivity in politics or > culture among the european countries. The second world war ended over sixty years ago. No-one under the age of retirement gives any thought to a German-sounding name. But stick with your Chinese name. Europeans should have got used to foreign names by now. Both my forename and surname have been current in England for over a thousand years but people still get them wrong from time to time. TO Nick Wagg Thank you for the remind "Nick Wagg" <naw@transcendata.com> дÈëÏûÏ¢ÐÂÎÅ:e2a4p2$qss$1$8302bc10@news.demon.co.uk... >> The main reason it that many of the HK ppl are employed by the >> branch office of european company ,and these ppl who can speak both [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > to something with a more English sound is just a form of cultural > imperialism, Hear hear. I can't see any problem with a Chinese name (except perhaps the pronunciation) or any other. It adds charm to life > > The main reason it that many of the HK ppl are employed by the branch > office [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > The second world war ended over sixty years ago. No-one under the > age of retirement gives any thought to a German-sounding name. ha,very good! > But stick with your Chinese name. Europeans should have got used > to foreign names by now. Both my forename and surname have been > current in England for over a thousand years but people still get them > wrong from time to time. We should stick with my original name .:) [snip] Interesting stuff but I'm more interested in your surname (if it is) 'littleshoes' I've never heard of it before. Great name if it is your surname. Any idea where it comes from or dates from? > [snip] Interesting stuff but I'm more interested in your surname (if it > is) 'littleshoes' I've never heard of it before. Great name if it is > your surname. Any idea where it comes from or dates from? Its a long story, and goes back to Native american assimilation, and the choosing of a legal name. Briefly stated, in the late 1800's an ancestor was so impressed with her child's first 'store bought shoes' in a time and place where babies were not routinely provided with shoes, that she would often refer to her baby's darling 'little shoes' and eventually to the child itself as such, the name stuck and when it was necessary for that child to choose a legal surname he saw it as a term of endearment to be perpetuated legally. Fortunately he was long gone before the days of the internet and the rather unimaginative interpretations that can be put on it in regards male virility. There is a town in Oregon called Noti, the name is, allegedly, based on an respected local Native american elders refusal to wear a neck tie, "Noti". --- JL >> [snip] Interesting stuff but I'm more interested in your surname (if >> it is) 'littleshoes' I've never heard of it before. Great name if it [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > perpetuated > legally. Great stuff, thanks. That's how names start, they can be places, jobs, looks, all sorts of things. This is an unusual one but just as logically chosen as any other. > Fortunately he was long gone before the days of the internet and the > rather unimaginative interpretations that can be put on it in regards > male virility. That never occurred to me and I had to think for a bit to understand what you meant. I suppose you mean as we tend to say in the UK big nose/hands, big dick, so little shoes etc. > There is a town in Oregon called Noti, the name is, allegedly, based > on an respected local Native american elders refusal to wear a neck > tie, > "Noti". Oh I like that one too. >>>[snip] Interesting stuff but I'm more interested in your surname (if >>>it is) 'littleshoes' I've never heard of it before. Great name if it >>>is your surname. Any idea where it comes from or dates from? >> >>Its a long story, and goes back to Native american assimilation, and >>the choosing of a legal name. --- --- >>Fortunately he was long gone before the days of the internet and the >>rather unimaginative interpretations that can be put on it in regards [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > what you meant. I suppose you mean as we tend to say in the UK big > nose/hands, big dick, so little shoes etc. In the US small feet = small phallus. THere used to be a very good Rock and Roll band that actually did a song about not getting the break to stardom they felt they deserved (and most people who listen to them agree with) but i guess it never occurred to them that the name of the band "Little Feet" might be misconstrued, perhaps sub consciously, by a lot of American males. If you all are into down loading music try to find the song by Little Feet called "Dixie Chicken". Their CD's and LP's were never made in large numbers and even when the band were together and recording they were hard to find. >>There is a town in Oregon called Noti, the name is, allegedly, based >>on an respected local Native american elders refusal to wear a neck >>tie, >>"Noti". > > Oh I like that one too. IF you can find an dictionary entry for it (try the American Heritage dictionary) it usually says of "obscure and of unknown origin" for the name of the town, the word is used in Japanese, Latin and in India, but i don't recall what it means there and i doubt very much that those were influences on the naming of a very small rural town in the American pacific north-western state of Oregon in the late 1800's. --- JL that's so funny "Joseph Littleshoes" <jpstifel@pacbell.net> ??????:R4i2g.50910$_S7.31721@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com... >> [snip] Interesting stuff but I'm more interested in your surname (if it >> is) 'littleshoes' I've never heard of it before. Great name if it is your [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > --- > JL Lin Lin and Joseph, Lin Lin wrote: > the most favorite name is(ranked by myself): 1,Linlin Kuo 2,Forest > Kuo (i think you might hav watched Forrest Gump,so what`s the > meanding of forrest??) 3,Samuel Kuo(how do you like samuel?plz tell > me) 4,David Kuo(i think the pronounciation of david in english is > cool and sweet, ha) David Wrote: > Etymologically Forest is derived from the Latin word for 'out side' or foreign I would be careful with this and I would not go with the name Forrest, especially as it was used in the movie Forrest Gump. In the movie they mention that the character was named after Forrest Bedford (who was/is seen as very controversial). I think that they did this as somewhat dark humour. Take a look at the following website: http://www.blueshoenashville.com/history.html Using etmology with names is a risky business as meanings change as people imbue words with new meanings. Vic > Lin Lin and Joseph, > Lin Lin wrote: > > the most favorite name is(ranked by myself): 1,Linlin Kuo 2,Forest > > Kuo (i think you might hav watched Forrest Gump,so what`s the > > meanding of forrest??) 3,Samuel Kuo(how do you like samuel?plz tell > > me) 4,David Kuo(i think the pronounciation of david in english is > > cool and sweet, ha) > David Wrote: > > Etymologically Forest is derived from the Latin word for 'out > > side' or foreign That was Joseph Littleshoes; I don't think a David has contributed to this thread until now. > I would be careful with this and I would not go with the name > Forrest, especially as it was used in the movie Forrest Gump. In the > movie they mention that the character was named after Forrest Bedford > (who was/is seen as very controversial). I think that they did this > as somewhat dark humour. Take a look at the following website: > http://www.blueshoenashville.com/history.html > Using etmology with names is a risky business as meanings change as > people imbue words with new meanings. Does anyone think much of the meaning when choosing names these days? Most folks don't even bother about the usual spelling. SignatureDavid - toro-danyo atcost uku fullstop co fullstop uk http://www.toro-danyo.uku.co.uk/ >> Lin Lin and Joseph, > [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > Does anyone think much of the meaning when choosing names these days? > Most folks don't even bother about the usual spelling. People tended to make up names even in the 'old days' - the parents of St Wulfstan (bishop of Worcester, d.1095) were Wulfgifu and Athelstan. SignatureJohn Briggs > Does anyone think much of the meaning when choosing names these days? > Most folks don't even bother about the usual spelling. I think that they do. My brother and his wife spent months talking about the names of their children. I think that they thought of the 'traditional' meaning first. By this I mean the meaning that you can find from some secondary source e.g. a book on etymology. They then thought of meanings attached to the word today e.g. the ideas that come to your head through names like Buffy, Adolph etc. (generated through semi-recent history, the media and so on). Lastly they thought of very personal meanings e.g. I could never call her Julia because I knew a Julia in school and she was horrible etc. (I've just pulled this name out of a hat). So I would say that we look at layers of meaning when we choose names and I think that everyone takes it very seriously. Vic |
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