When you travel in China, you may meet some locals and become friends with them (especially if you design your trip with Bridge to Locals—haha). You’ll likely notice something interesting: many of them will introduce themselves with an English name, like Mary, Terry, Tom, Chris, Lily, Cici, or Coco.
This is quite common, though it might seem unusual to some people. I’m often asked by travelers—or by friends I met while studying in the UK—"Why do so many Chinese people use English names? Why don’t they just use their real Chinese names?"
I understand there’s a cultural atmosphere encouraging people to stick to their original names. Some see the use of an English name as a form of surrender, an attempt to cater to Western culture, or even as forgetting one’s roots. These concerns are understandable and valid—but I’d love to share a few positive reasons why English names are so popular in China.
1. A Bridge Between Two Language Systems
English originates from Latin and Greek roots—it is a phonetic language. In contrast, Chinese is a logographic language, where characters visually convey meaning. These two systems are fundamentally different, and sometimes a "bridge" is needed to help people better understand and connect with each other.
For example, as someone working in game publishing, I’ve noticed that when introducing movies or games into domestic markets, regions like Korea and Japan tend to transliterate foreign titles phonetically. That’s because they developed their own pronunciation-based systems, influenced by Western culture before World War II.
However, in Chinese-speaking regions such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China, titles are usually translated based on meaning. People even joke about each other’s translation styles.
Take The Minions, for example:
- In mainland China, it's translated as 小黄人大眼萌 ("Little yellow people with cute big eyes")
- In Taiwan, it's 小小兵 ("Little soldiers")
- In Hong Kong, it's 迷你兵团 ("Mini corps")
These variations help Chinese-speaking audiences better remember foreign names. Similarly, when Chinese people choose an English name, it often serves the same purpose—it becomes something easier for non-Chinese speakers to say and remember. It’s a form of cultural adaptation.
2. The English Learning Experience
I’ve interviewed many Chinese people who use English names (as well as French, Spanish, or other foreign names), and I’ve read countless online discussions on the topic. A common response is:
“When I had my first English class, the teacher gave each of us an English name to make learning more fun—so I just used it.”
According to research, adopting an English name can even help international students shape their own linguistic identity during the learning process (Diao, 2014).
That was exactly the experience of many in my generation. My first English teacher gave me the name George because I said I wanted something unisex. I didn’t like it. Later, my second teacher gave me Susan, which I didn’t like either.
Eventually, as I grew older, I chose my own name—Joanne. It was inspired by Little Women. Jo, one of my favorite characters, disliked her full name Josephine. I loved her spirit, so I chose a name that shared her nickname—Jo—but without being Josephine.
3. It’s Not One-way
It’s not just Chinese people adopting English names—English speakers often choose Chinese names when they come to China or start learning Mandarin.
For example:
- Dashan (大山, meaning “Big Mountain”), a Canadian, became one of China’s most beloved TV personalities in the 1980s
- Pearl S. Buck, a Nobel Prize-winning American author, had the Chinese name Sai Zhenzhu (赛珍珠), which means “Better than Pearl.”
- Popular YouTuber LeLe Farley uses the name 乐乐法利 (LeLe Fali), meaning “Happy Happy Farley.”
This phenomenon may be less noticed simply because far fewer people learn Chinese compared to the vast number learning English. That’s why I jokingly call it an “English name dump”—almost every Chinese student ends up studying English, and many choose to adopt an English name. It’s become a kind of cultural norm.
4. China Has a Deep Nickname Culture
China has a long-standing tradition of multiple names that dates back thousands of years. In classical Chinese society, a person often had at least two names. One was their given name, used by close family. The second was a zi (字), or courtesy name, bestowed by an elder during a coming-of-age ceremony. It reflected the person’s character, aspirations, or values, and usually connected to their given name.
Later in life, people often adopted a hao (号), a self-given name used to express personal ideals or creative identity. For example, the famous poet Su Shi gave himself the hao “东坡居士” (“Mr. East Hillside”) because he loved the hillside on the east side of his home.
During World War I and II, this tradition evolved into pen-name culture. Writers fighting against colonialism often gave themselves names symbolizing freedom, resilience, or national spirit. Since Chinese names are created from combinations of characters (hanzi), they carry deep symbolic meaning. One person might have more than 20 names throughout their lifetime, each tied to personal transformation.
Even today, many people use playful, poetic, or ironic nicknames on social media. So when learning a new language, it feels natural to take on another name too.
5. It’s About Identity and Self-Expression
Sometimes, using a different name helps us feel more connected to a global community. Other times, it gives us a chance to redefine who we are. According to Bourdieu’s theory of habitus (1990), when people enter a new social field, their habits and self-perceptions shift as they search for ways to adapt, express, and find their place.
Our birth names are usually given by family or teachers, carrying their wishes, values, or imagination. These names shape our early identity—positively or not—but they are not always chosen by us. But when people start learning a new language and entering a new culture as adults, they gain a rare opportunity: to choose a name for themselves—a name that reflects who they are and who they aspire to become. These names carry wishes and meanings that come entirely from within, chosen by the individual rather than given by others. I believe for some people, adopting a new name marks the beginning of a new chapter in life—a fresh start, shaped by their own will.
That’s why I sometimes feel misunderstood when others, insist that we should stick to our original names, it involved a .As someone who writes about Chinese history, subcultures, and everyday identity, I’ve always been fascinated by the meaning and evolution behind names.
So what’s your take? leave your comments behind this article and talk with us. Looking forward to seeing your experience and voice.
Reference:
Bourdieu, P. (1990) The Logic of Practice, translated by R. Nice. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Diao, W. (2014) ‘Between Ethnic and English Names: Name Choice for Transnational Chinese Students in a US Academic Community’, Journal of International Students, 4(3), pp. 205–222.
Authors: Joanne
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