Vol. 72 No. 2 (2024): NAMES: A Journal of Onomastics
Articles

Young Chinese Women's Reasons for Changing their Given Names: An Online Investigation

Yi Liu
Huizhou University

Published 2024-06-06

Keywords

  • given names,
  • women,
  • personal names,
  • Chinese,
  • autonymy,
  • name changing,
  • self-renaming
  • ...More
    Less

Abstract

The implementation of the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China in 2021 greatly facilitated the legal procedure for changing one’s name. The current study collected 334 cases of young Chinese women’s given name changes from January to June 2022 on the Xiaohongshu app, a lifestyle platform that inspires people to discover and connect with a range of diverse lifestyles. After collecting the 334 former and 334 present names of the Chinese women included in this research, the reasons the respondents gave for changing their given names were examined. These reasons included following superstition, correcting registration mistakes, and clarifying gender confusion. The decisions to adopt new names were found to have been motivated by several different reasons. These motivations are explained in detail. As will be shown, the self-renaming practices discovered in this study demonstrate how modern Chinese women can use their personal names to reflect their personal identity. The findings of this study increase our collective understanding of women’s efforts to express their self-awareness through name change.

References

  1. Aldrin, Emilia. 2016. “Names and Identity”. The Oxford Handbook of Names and Naming. Edited by Carole Hough. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 382–394.
  2. Alford, Richard D. 1988. Naming and Identity: A Cross-cultural Study of Personal Naming Practices. New Haven: Hraf Press.
  3. Bao, Hanwushuang, Junlin Chen, Junli Lin, and Li Liu. 2016. “Mingzi yu Xingbie de Renji Xinyin Jizhi: Xingbie Jiaose Pingjia de Zhongjie Zuoyong” [The Effects of Name and Gender on Interpersonal Attraction: Gender Role Evaluation as a Mediator]. Zhongguo Linchuang Xinlixue Zazhi [Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology] 24, no. 4: 596–600.
  4. Bursell, Moa. 2012. “Name Change and Destigmatization among Middle Eastern Immigrants in Sweden”. Ethnic and Racial Studies 35, no. 3: 471–487.
  5. Chen, Linsey N. H. 2017. “Pet-Naming Practices in Taiwan”. Names 65, no. 3: 167–177.
  6. Clarke, Victoria, Maree Burns, and Carole Burgoyne. 2008. “‘Who Would Take Whose Name?’ Accounts of Naming Practices in Same-sex Relationships”. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology 18, no. 5: 420–439.
  7. Coulmont, Baptiste. 2014. “Changing One’s First Name in France: A Fountain of Youth?” Names 62, no. 3: 137–146.
  8. de Klerk, Vivian. 2002. “Changing Names in the ‘New’ South Africa: A Diachronic Survey”. Names 50, no. 3: 201–221.
  9. de Klerk, Vivian, and Irene Lagonikos. 2004. “First-name Change in South Africa: The Swing of the Pendulum”. International Journal of the Sociology of Language 2004, no. 170: 59–80.
  10. Diao, Peijun, and Wenyan Zhang. 2012. “Fangming Yizong: Songdai Nvxing Renming Yongzi Kaotan” [A Study about Female Name of Song Dynasty]. Xiamen Daxue Xuebao (Zhexue Shehui Kexue Ban) [Journal of Xiamen University (Arts & Social Sciences)] no.3: 93–100.
  11. Drury, W. Darrel, and John D. McCarthy. 1980. “The Social Psychology of Name Change: Reflections on a Serendipitous Discovery”. Social Psychology Quarterly 43, no. 3: 310–320.
  12. Duan, Jianping, and Wang Jing. 2002. “Zhongguo Hanzu Nvxing ‘Ming’ de Yuyan Wenhua Fenxi” [Linguistic and Cultural Analysis of the Names of Chinese Han Women]. Sixiang Zhanxian [Thought Front] 28, no. 1: 106–109.
  13. Foss, Karen A., and Belle A. Edson. 1989. “What’s in a Name? Accounts of Married Women's Name Choices” Western Journal of Speech Communication 53, no. 4: 356–373.
  14. He, Xiaoming. 2012. Zhongguo Xingmingshi [The History of Chinese Names]. Wuhan: Wuhan University Press.
  15. Hoffnung, Michele. 2006. “What’s in a Name? Marital Name Choice Revisited”. Sex Roles 55, no. 11–12: 817–825.
  16. Jacob, James E., and Pierre L. Horn. 1998. “Comment vous appelez-vous?: Why the French Change Their Names”. Names 46, no. 1: 3–28.
  17. Jiao, Jie. 2001. “Tan Tangdai Funv Mingzi de Tedian”. [On the Characteristics of Women’s Names in the Tang Dynasty] Zhongguoshi Yanjiu no. 3: 79–84.
  18. Jiao, Jie. 2006. “Cong Zhongguo Gudai Nvxing Mingzi de Yanbian Kan Shehui Xingbie Wenhua de Jiangou” [The Changes of Ancient Chinese Women’s Names and the Gender Culture Construct]. Zhengzhou Daxue Xuebao (Zhexue Shehui Kexue Ban) 39, no. 6: 25–28.
  19. Kopelman, Richard J., et al. 2009. “The Bride is Keeping Her Name: A 35-Year Retrospective Analysis of Trends and Correlates”. Social Behavior and Personality 37, no. 5: 687–700.
  20. Kałużyńska, Irena. 2016. “Linguistic Composition and Characteristics of Chinese Given Names”. Onoma 51: 161–186.
  21. Lee, Wen Shu. 1998. “In the Names of Chinese Women”. Quarterly Journal of Speech 84, no. 3: 283–302.
  22. Leino, Antti. 2014. “Man, Woman or Me? Conflicting Identities as Evidenced by Cross-Gender Name Changes”. Names in daily life: Proceedings of the XXIV ICOS International Congress of Onomastic Sciences: 803–811. Accessed May 5, 2022. https://trepo.tuni.fi/handle/10024/96178
  23. Li, Yunfeng. 2015. “Wangluoyu ‘Nimei’ de Goushi Leixing ji qi Huayu Gongneng” [The Construction Type of the Internet Catchphrase ‘nimei’ and its Discourse Function]. Suzhou Xueyuan Xuebao 30, no. 11: 57–62.
  24. Louie, Emma Woo. 2006. “Remarkable Similarities between Traditional Chinese and Anglo-Saxon England’s Naming Customs”. Names 54, no. 3: 211–220.
  25. Ministry of Public Security of the PRC. 2021. 2020 Quanguo Xingming Baogao Fabu [The 2020 National Names Report]. Accessed January 30, 2022.
  26. https://www.mps.gov.cn/n2253534/n2253535/c7725981/content.html
  27. Ministry of Public Security of the PRC. 2022. 2021 Quanguo Xingming Baogao Fabu [The 2021 National Names Report]. Accessed January 30, 2022.
  28. https://www.mps.gov.cn/n2253534/n2253535/c8349222/content.html
  29. Stafford, Laura, and Susan L. Kline.1996. “Married Women’s Name Choices and Sense of Self”. Communication Reports 9, no. 1: 85–92.
  30. Scheuble, Laurie K., and David R. Johnson. 2016. “Keeping Her Surname as a Middle Name at Marriage: What Predicts this Practice Among Married Women Who Take Their Husband’s Last Name?” Names 64, no. 4: 202–216.
  31. Suter, Elizabeth A., and Ramona Faith Oswald. 2003. “Do Lesbians Change Their Last Names in the Context of a Committed Relationship?” Journal of Lesbian Studies 7, no. 2: 71–83.
  32. van de Weijer, Jeroen, et al. 2019. “Gender Identification in Chinese Names”. Lingua 234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2019.102759
  33. Xiaohongshu. 2021. Accessed December 12, 2021. https://www.xiaohongshu.com/protocols/abou
  34. Zhang, Yuanyuan. 2014. “Wangluo Lici ‘Nimei’ Chengyin ji Biaoda Xiaoguo Xiaokao”. [The Formation of the Internet Swear Word ‘Nimei’ and its Expression Effects]. Mudanjiang Daxue Xuebao 23, no. 5: 88–95.
  35. Zhu, Bin, and Celia Millward. 1987. Personal Names in Chinese. Names 35, no. 1: 8–21.