The "naming according to seniority" that was once used in rural areas is no longer popular. This is mainly because the meaning of names given by modern people is very different from that of names given by ancient people.
1. What is naming according to generation?
A generation is a certain surname. In order to order the elders and younger ones of the clan, distinguish the generations and avoid confusion, we start from a certain ancestor, as follows Each generation is represented by one word.
For example, in the Si surname, the originator is known to have been born in the first year of Chongning in the Song Dynasty (1102 AD), and his descendants first compiled a genealogy in the 42nd year of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty (1703 AD). From the 18th century onwards, each generation has one word, which is called a sect: Shang Guo Da Yu, to cope with the Xi Dynasty, to establish the Shao family, to open and succeed the Guangzhao, to be full of etiquette, to be virtuous, to have good governance, to maintain the harmony of heaven and earth. Good luck and good luck. The 18th generation is named Shang, the 19th generation is named Guo..., up to now it is the 32nd generation, which is named Guang, and the 33rd generation is named Zhao.
When revising the genealogy in 1990, 16 more words were added: gentle, respectful and thrifty, Lan Gui ascends the heights, obeys the religious teachings carefully, believes in heroes
Ask so-and-so what sect he belongs to , is a word corresponding to this person’s seniority. The higher you go, the higher the seniority and the bigger the faction. The further down you go, the younger the seniority, the smaller the pie.
Assuming that the average age of a generation is one word, there are still 32 words available, which means that it can be used for 32 generations, which can be used for about 800 years, and can be used after 2800 AD. At that time, we can continue to add more characters.
Name according to seniority, that is, which character your seniority is, and then choose another character based on this character to make the name. For example, in the above example, the thirty-second generation is the word "light", so the name can be called "Guangyao", "Guanghui", "Guangming", etc., etc., and the same goes for other names.
In the past, rural people were not highly educated and did not pay much attention to the connotation of their names. It was very simple to choose a name based on the word "pai". When people with the same surname were called by their names, they knew they were ancestors, fathers, peers, children, etc. Grandchildren.
Even if the names given by the parents are not based on seniority, when the family genealogy is continued, each person will be given a clan name, and each clan will be a generation, starting from the eldest family to the last one. The rooms are arranged in an orderly manner.
In this way, no matter how far apart they are from each other, whether they know each other, or how old they are, if they meet together, their names will not be confusing.
2. Why is it not popular in modern times?
Nowadays, young parents are all literate people and hope to give their children a good name that is both loud and meaningful. Not the same as others. The pronunciation of the word sounds loud and nice, the meaning of the word is rich and profound; the shape of the word is good-looking, the strokes are moderate; it is novel, unique and unique.
Today’s names are basically adults’ hopes for their children, and their expectations for the future of their children are embodied in their names. If the name is based on seniority, it is not easy to combine names with many faction names, and it is inevitable that the same name will be used within the clan. It is even more difficult to express the expectations that young parents have for their children, and the dreams that young parents have for their children's future.
As the old saying goes: "It is better to teach a child a skill than to give him a thousand pieces of gold; it is better to give a child a good reputation than to teach a child a skill." Therefore, when parents name their children, most of them embody their ardent expectations for their children and place their lofty ambitions and ideals on their children. They set lofty goals and ambitions for their children from an early age, inspire them to work hard, strive for progress, and thus influence their children. A child's life. Of course, naming based on seniority is no longer popular.