Why do people from Hong Kong have Western names?

Why do people from Hong Kong have Western names?

Some Hong Kongers are given the names by their parents at birth or by their teachers at school. Some devise them themselves. The practice goes back to colonial times. “Businessmen would take on English names as a mark of sophistication or to show they did business with foreigners.”

Why do people from Hong Kong have English first names?

Because some of them were educated by English school, some of them were educated by Chinese school. Usually, English name means education.

How do names work in Hong Kong?

Names in Hong Kong generally follow Chinese naming conventions. However, there may be some variation in international and English-speaking contexts (see below). Chinese naming conventions arrange names as follows: [FAMILY NAME] [given name]. For example, CHENG Kwong Ming (male) and CHIU Sin Wing (female).

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What are Hong Kong natives called?

Hongkongers
Hongkongers (Chinese: 香港人), also known as Hong Kongers, Hong Kongese, Hongkongese, Hong Kong citizen and Hong Kong people, typically refers to legal residents of the city of Hong Kong; although may also refer to others who were born and/or raised in the city.

Why do Chinese surnames come first?

Traditionally, Chinese given names are structured by a two-character pattern. The first part is the generation name that is shared by all members of a generation, and the last character is given to the individual person. The reason Chinese people write their surname first is to show respect to the ancestors.

Why do Chinese students take English names?

Chinese people began to give themselves English names after the Reform and Opening Up in the late 1970s, when they were exposed increasingly to western cultures. For many, English names are informal haos that represent another layer of identity.

What is the weirdest name for a boy?

Weird Boy Names (That We Think are Awesome!)

Basil Royal, kingly Greek
Bear Strong, brave bear German
Bergen Lives on the hill; mountain Scandinavian
Berkeley The birch tree meadow English
Birch Bright, shining; the birch tree English
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What is your nationality if you are from Hong Kong?

Chinese
If we refer to Wikipedia: “Hong Kong people (Chinese: 香港人), also known as Hong Kongers or Hong Kongese, are people who originate from or live in Hong Kong”. The immigration department of Hong Kong states a Chinese citizen” is a person of Chinese nationality under the CNL (Peoples Republic of China).

Are hongkongers British?

By this definition, anyone born in Hong Kong after it became a British colony in 1842 was a British subject. The Naturalisation of Aliens Act 1847 expanded what had been covered in the Naturalisation Act 1844, which applied only to people within the United Kingdom, to all its dominions and colonies.

What are the differences between Chinese names and Western names?

Chinese names are different from Western names. They start with the family name followed by the given name. The family name usually has one syllable. All the top 100 Chinese family names have only one syllable and these surnames cover about 85 percent of mainly China’s citizens.

How do Chinese people choose their Western names?

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As an old Chinese saying goes: “One does not fear if he/she has a bad fate; what one fears most is to have a bad name,” Chinese speakers use different mechanisms in the process of choosing their Western names. Some people choose Western names that resemble their original Chinese ones, either in terms of pronunciation or meaning.

Why do Chinese people have unconventional names?

It also happens that when there is special meaning in one’s Chinese name, one would choose an English name with similar meaning. Examples include: Rainy, Sky, Money, Cloud, Ice and River. Sometimes, in order to have unconventional names, Chinese speaking people get inspirations from famous brands.

How do Hong Kongers get their names?

Some Hong Kongers are given the names by their parents at birth or by their teachers at school. Some devise them themselves. The practice goes back to colonial times.

Why does Hong Kong need an English name?

“One consequence of British colonization in Hong Kong is the need for an English name for all kinds of education-and work-related purposes,” linguistic professor David C.S. Li from the Hong Kong Institute of Education told DW.