Generational Names

“This year your highest priority will be your family.”

My brother and I share a generational name.

Family is important to me, and last week I posted about my baby nephew, along with special foods for new moms. This week I’ll be talking about birth names. I remember searching online and flipping through baby books to choose special English names.

The more difficult task, though, was picking a Chinese name. That required discussion between my husband and me, plus consultation with both sets of parents. This is because a Chinese name has a generational impact. Generational names aren’t whole names passed on to progeny (for example, I’ve known people with III and IV attached to their name). Instead, Chinese generational names involve:

Two characters
The first is the generation name (provided to all siblings, cousins, etc.)
The second is the given name (individual’s unique moniker)
It has significant symbolism (a particular trait or wish for the child)
My own kids start off their names with “purity”

My children use the Chinese characters for their middle names. A lot of my peers and relatives, though, are eschewing the Chinese and giving their kids full English names. (But they may use a Chinese name in private.)

I like having my kids discover tradition in their names. It will give them a unique sense of identity. Also, it makes it easier to claim personalized email addresses and websites in the future. ;)

What name traditions have you encountered?