In history, the origin of names is to distinguish one from others.
Names originated in ancient times and first appeared in the matrilineal society in Chinese history, mainly centered on women. Surname is the most important criterion for an ethnic group. People of the same ethnic group have the same surname, and different ethnic groups are distinguished by different surnames. A name is unique to an individual and is used to distinguish people with the same surname. In order to distinguish a person from a group, a name was created. The surname plus the first name becomes a unique symbol of a person and can be distinguished from others.
In the patriarchal society, surnames expanded greatly. During the Zhou Dynasty, surnames entered a golden period of development. After Qin Shihuang unified the six countries, the development of surnames gradually became more and more stable. As history continued to develop, more and more surnames became available.
Things to note when choosing a name
1. Avoid cold words
If you use some uncommon words when choosing a name, most people will not recognize it. It can easily cause embarrassing situations and affect social communication.
2. Avoid polyphonic characters
Many Chinese characters are polyphonic, and one character has multiple pronunciations. If you choose a name, try to avoid using polyphonic characters, as this can cause a lot of trouble in social interactions.
3. Avoid the names of ancestors
The folk traditions of the Han people are all about seniority. Each generation will use one word. Everyone will know who you are when you look at your name. What is your seniority? If you mess up the order of generations and directly name your ancestors or elders, so that people can’t tell whether they are grandparents or grandchildren, it would be disrespectful to ancestors and elders, and it would be difficult for people to accept it.