Chinese name

Chinese personal names follow a number of conventions different from those of Western personal names. Most noticeably, a Chinese name is written with the surname first and the given name second. For instance, the basketball player Yao Ming is Mr. Yao, not Mr. Ming.

Alternative names

Nicknames are usually an alteration of the given name, sometimes based on the person's physical attributes, speaking style or even their first word. In Hokkien- or Cantonese-speaking areas, a nickname will often consist of the diminutive Ah (?), followed by part of the given name (usually the last character). Nicknames are rarely used in formal or semi-formal settings. One exception to this is Chen Shui-bian, who is commonly known as A-bian (??) even by himself and in newspaper articles.

Related Topics:
Nickname - Hokkien - Cantonese - Chen Shui-bian - Newspaper

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In former times, it was common for educated males to acquire courtesy names. The two most common forms were a zi (?), given upon reaching maturity, and a hao (?), usually self-selected and often somewhat whimsical. Although this tradition has lapsed, authors' use of pen names is still a common phenomenon. For more information, see Chinese courtesy name.

Related Topics:
Courtesy names - Pen name

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For prominent people, posthumous names (??, ??) have often been given, although this is uncommon now. Sun Yat-sen was given the posthumous name of Guófù (??, Father of the Nation), the name by which he is most frequently known by in Taiwan. Rulers were also ascribed temple names (??, ??).

Related Topics:
Posthumous name - Sun Yat-sen - Father of the Nation - Taiwan - Temple name

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