Zhouyi's naming is particular and strict. In addition to the one-character names in Wang Mang's era, the names are ranked according to the genealogical generation. The Zhouyi naming custom of ranking characters is directly affected by the patriarchal ideology. The key point is to maintain the eldest son inheritance system of the patriarchal system (the eldest son of the head wife has legal inheritance rights). Generally, families, especially famous families, have to compile family trees in order to "remember their origins" and "know where they come from." The genealogy of each family is divided into relatives, elders and younger ones. In order to show the differences, facilitate memory and maintain continuity, the names of children in Zhouyi should pay attention to the choice of characters. Brothers of the same clan use the same character or the same Chinese character radical, and different characters of the same clan are represented by different characters. This method is called ranking or typesetting. The Zhouyi naming custom of ranking characters has a great influence and wide range in Chinese history. Although people today do not build family trees due to changes in life in the times, this method is still used today.
The most common way to name Zhouyi names is the difference in meaning. Most of the characters used to arrange seniority are composed of auspicious and celebrating words to express a certain meaning. For example, the commonly used words are purple air coming from the east, dragon and phoenix showing auspiciousness, five generations of prosperity, glorious family, poems and rituals, and loyal inheritance. Shi et al. Or rhymes, some of which are poems in themselves. The most complete and representative one among the generations is the Confucius family, which was regarded as a saint by the feudal royal family of later generations. For example, in 1774 Emperor Qianlong confirmed the thirty generations of descendants of Confucius:
Xi Yan Gong Yan Cheng Hong Wen Zhen Shang Yan Xing Yu Chuan Ji Guang Zhao Xian Qing Fan Xiang
Ling De Dui Chui Bless Qin Shao Nian Xian Yang
The character Xi is the fifty-sixth generation of the Confucius family. In 1920, Kong Lingyi, the 76th generation Yanshenggong, added twenty more crosses to these thirty crosses, and was approved by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Beiyang Warlord *** to consult with all provinces and counties to implement them:
Construction of roads, Dun'an, Ding, Mao, Xiu, Zhaoyi, Chang Yuwen, Huanjing, Ruiyong, Xi, Shixuchang
Based on the above arrangement of generations, if we see the characters in the middle of the names of the descendants of Confucius, we can deduce Out of his seniority. For example, among the members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference are Kong Xiangzhen, Kong Lingming, and Kong Demao. Looking at their genealogical generations, we can know that the first two are 75th and 76th generation grandsons, and the latter one is the 77th generation grandson.
The Qing Dynasty was probably the most strict in naming successive generations of royal families. Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty stipulated that descendants surnamed Zhu must be named by the Book of Changes of the Ministry of Rites. Since Kangxi, the royal family of the Qing Dynasty has been naming according to generations, which not only stipulates the must-use characters, but also stipulates the radical of the second character. For example, the princes of Yongzheng's generation all use the character "Yin" for the first character and "Shi" for the second character. "Besides, such as Yinzu, Yinqi, Yinti...Yinzhen, etc. Emperor Yongzheng was the fourth son, named Yinzhen. The princes of Qianlong's generation all used the character Hong as the first character, and the character "日" next to the second character (Emperor Qianlong's name was Hongli). During the Qianlong period, Yongrong, the sixth son of the emperor, painted the "Sui Dynasty Picture" and presented it to the Filial Saint. Qianlong inscribed a poem on it with the sentence "Yong Mian Yi Zai Feng Ci Yu". From then on, Qianlong placed it under Hong, The four characters "Yong, Mian, Yi, and Zai" were chosen as the generation names. Daoguang personally chose the four characters "Pu, Yu, Heng, and Qi" after "Zai". Emperor Xianfeng also chose the four characters "Qi" in the generation. The four characters "Tao, Yi, Zeng, and Qi" were selected. Therefore, starting from the Yongzheng generation, the order of naming for the Qing royal family was: Yin, Hong, Yong, Mian, Yi, Zai, Pu, Yu, Heng, Qi. , Tao, Zeng, Qi. By the time the last emperor Puyi was named "Pu", the Qing Dynasty was overthrown. It is unknown whether these characters will be used in future names.
When naming names in the Book of Changes, the name structure is like that of the Confucius family, where the first character of the same generation remains the same, and there are also names that take the last character; some have the character "generation" in front and the character "generation" in the back. Ming, Wanquan, Wanfang, etc.; people's generation, Weimin, Haimin, Xingmin, etc. There are also double names of one generation, and the single names are connected by radicals repeatedly.
< p> Zhouyi naming is a folk custom with a long history. It is used by the royal family, common people, and even monks and Taoists. It has a very stable name and can be used from generation to generation. The order of generations continues in an orderly manner, unlike some methods that are fickle, especially its inheritance, which can help people implement the lineage sequence, for those overseas Chinese and compatriots in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao to find their roots and recognize their ancestors, and to distinguish their relatives and neighbors. The elder and younger generations play an important role.However, it is conventional and conservative. It limits people's names to a defined range, which stifles people's will and independent personality to a certain extent and is not conducive to the development of personality. At the same time, it also contains strong feudalism. The concept of family is not conducive to interpersonal communication and unity.
At present, the vast majority of surname families have their own ranking characters, such as the character generation of the Gongguan Chen family in Hepu County, Guangxi: Shi Guo Ming its virtues, Ying Cai Ke Zhen Ji Xu Lian Fang Ke Di Yongxi's family was prosperous.
However, unlike in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, names must be strictly based on Zhouyi, but some are named according to Zhouyi, and some are not.