The character is an extension of the name, which is an echoing relationship. Of course, there are also some that are opposite to the name, such as Zhu Xi and Zi Yuanhui; Xi and Hui have an opposite relationship. The standard for selecting characters is to express virtue, which is also called a character. For example, in the case of Sun Quan mentioned above, power and strategy are in a corresponding relationship, as is preparation and virtue.
In ancient times, people of the same generation were not allowed to call their elders by their first names, and the same was true for younger people. So I picked up an extra word. When interacting with people of the same generation, it is often used as a title. When getting along with elders, the first name is used. At this time, the first name can also be used as a modest name for oneself. .
In modern times, names were still used separately. It was not until after the founding of New China that they were combined into one, and the era of unified names began. From this time on, Chinese people only had names. And there are no words.
Extended information
1. Surnames can be traced back to the matrilineal society in the early days of humankind. The emergence of surnames actually identifies who an individual was born from. Everyone takes their mother's surname. Therefore, many of China's oldest surnames have female characters, such as Jiang, Ji, Ying and other surnames.
2. The surname, surname, given name and characters all come from the elders of the family. The ancients felt that this was not free at all, so some people simply gave themselves a name, which was a nickname.
3. The word "biao" is only available after adulthood, so minors are also called "weizi" and women are called "waizi guizhong". When a man is twenty, his age is weak, and he is called "with a crown"; when a woman is fifteen, she is called "with a hairpin". "Crown" and "hairpin" are coming-of-age rites.
China.com-Chinese names and characters