# Asians taking American names. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 21, 2002, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119 "2002-07-21T19:49:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119/21 "2002-07-22T10:32:26Z")
> [@](#): > > I think that’s different. Joe is a nickname for Giuseppe. I assume the OP is talking about changing from Asian names to English names that aren’t even similar It’s not exactly the same, but I don’t think it’s completely different,either. Joe isn’t a nickname for Giuseppe, it’s a nickname for the English equivalent of Giuseppe. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119/22 "2002-07-22T12:00:20Z")
I configure email accounts for our Asian divisions, as well as for our North American ones. Quite a few people, who as far as I know don’t travel to Ameica, have English names. Some have them in addition to two or three Asian names, some simply as first names. We do Have someone named Dong, but he goes by his last name instead. ---
**Author:** ![Skippman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Skippman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skippman)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119/23 "2002-07-22T18:18:10Z")
I’ve delt with many Asian people in my line of work and have to say that the Japanese have, to my ears anyway, the easiest names to pronounce in English. Thier phonetics, when it’s written in English characters and not Kanji, are similar to ours. Used to know/see a girl named Hitomi. Man, I miss her. Most Japanese girls have beutiful names. FWIW my family is from Germany. I’m the first American born of my line. We used to spell our last names Heuer but changed it to Hoyer to be easier to understand and pronounce. But people still get it wrong. \ ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119/24 "2002-07-23T02:33:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cazzle \* > \*\* > > I think that’s different. Joe is a nickname for Giuseppe. I assume the OP is talking about changing from Asian names to English names that aren’t even similar. FWIW, I’ve noticed many of my Asian aquaintances seem to have chosen very traditional, old fashioned English names like Oliver. > > I think Flamsterette X touched upon this in another thread a couple of months ago. \*\* I was wondering why my name would be mentioned in this forum, since I almost never wander in here, and don’t think I’m worthy of a debate. But **cazzle** is right, as I did indeed touch upon this topic in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=109977&highlight=Janet+Schwegel). Giuseppe is simply the Italian form of Joseph, so it would be natural for someone named Giuseppe to switch to Joseph, Joey, or Joe. As for people picking names at random from the dictionary or what have you, those combinations are a little surprising (to say the least). I used to know someone named Calvary Wong, and wondered where he got that name from. Maybe the Bible, or Biblical texts. F\_X ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119/25 "2002-07-23T02:39:28Z")
Oops, I thought this was Great Debates for a second. :o :smack: F\_X ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119/26 "2002-07-23T03:25:07Z")
> [@](#): > > Giuseppe is simply the Italian form of Joseph, so it would be natural for someone named Giuseppe to switch to Joseph, Joey, or Joe. Certainly, it would be more natural for Giuseppe to switch to Joe, Joey or Joseph than it would be to switch to Frank. But I don’t think it’s any _more_ natural to switch from Giuseppe to Joseph than it would be for my daughter to switch from Jessica to Fu Yi (_Very_ approximate phonetic spelling of the Chinese name she was given by her grandmother, rarely used,and unrelated to the name Jessica) if she moves to China. Giuseppe is changing his name to one that will “fit in” better in his new home. His first name alone will give no clue as to his ethnicity or national origin.The same as someone switching from an Asian name to a Western one.The only difference is that in one case, the two names are accepted as equivalent, and in the other case there is no equivalent. FWIW, although I have no idea if this is common, in my husband’s family, starting with his generation (the first born in the US) Western names are generally given on the birth certificate and a Chinese name is also given , only used at formal occasions such as weddings (and the only real tendency towards British names I’ve seen has been among parents who lived in Hong Kong ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119/27 "2002-07-23T03:30:30Z")
> [@](#): > > Giuseppe is simply the Italian form of Joseph, so it would be natural for someone named Giuseppe to switch to Joseph, Joey, or Joe. Certainly, it would be more natural for Giuseppe to switch to Joe, Joey or Joseph than it would be to switch to Frank. But I don’t think it’s any _more_ natural to switch from Giuseppe to Joseph than it would be for my daughter to switch from Jessica to Fu Yi (_Very_ approximate phonetic spelling of the Chinese name she was given by her grandmother, rarely used,and unrelated to the name Jessica) if she moves to China. Giuseppe is changing his name to one that will “fit in” better in his new home. His first name alone will give no clue as to his ethnicity or national origin.The same as someone switching from an Asian name to a Western one.The only difference is that in one case, the two names are accepted as equivalent, and in the other case there is no equivalent. FWIW, although I have no idea if this is common, in my husband’s family, starting with his generation (the first born in the US) Western names are generally given on the birth certificate and a Chinese name is also given , only used at formal occasions such as weddings (and the only real tendency towards British names I’ve seen has been among parents who lived in Hong Kong ---
**Author:** ![irae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f0a364/32.png) [@irae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irae)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119/28 "2002-07-23T04:32:48Z")
I teach a lot of kindergarten classes here, and at the beginning of the year we name all the first year kiddies. One of the teachers at a school where I used to work gave all his kids sci-fi names. “Zoltar, how old are you?” Over here, people tend to change their western name quite often, espeically girls. Years ago, I was teaching a little boy named George. One day, toward the end of term, the chinese teacher approached me and said that George’s mom wanted to change his name. “To what?” I asked. She handed me a piece of paper. One it was the word ‘Chemical’. Go figger. I’ve got a bunch of Chinese names, but at school I like to go by Wa Bi Kong (pick your nose) or Leo Ko Shuei (drool). ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119/29 "2002-07-23T05:42:38Z")
I work with a Cambodian kid named John Wayne. It’s spelled: Hien Nguyen. No joke. His name is John Wayne, it’s just spelled really strangely. He’s John to everyone. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119/30 "2002-07-23T05:49:29Z")
I have a Cantonese sister-in-law named Libby. Her immigrant parents were fond of Libby’s beans. ---
**Author:** ![tsukinotenshi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@tsukinotenshi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsukinotenshi)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119/31 "2002-07-23T06:15:18Z")
I have a friend who lives in Singapore and she has two names. Her Chinese name is Shu Hua, and her English name is Sock Wah. I never bothered to ask her why, but maybe it’s because most of the people there speak English in addition to their native language(she told me they start teaching English in preschool). ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119/32 "2002-07-23T06:26:05Z")
My brother married a lady from China. When she came to the states, she picked the name “joanna” to go by. Her chinese name is "li weh ’ which i guess I would have gone by Allison or something. NE way, they have a son now, and he has TWO sets of names. He goes by Wilson Zhong in american and something like Shao Lin in Chinese. I like it here in Mississippi, where you can’t go wrong by addressing someone in the store by “bubba” or “sissy”. :0 ---
**Author:** ![NightRabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@NightRabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NightRabbit)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119/33 "2002-07-23T06:56:58Z")
I have a good college friend who’s from Korea. Her Korean name is Haewon. Both her parents were Korean and came to the US to have her, and realized belatedly that they didn’t know a thing about american names. They asked the attending nurse her name, and named their baby girl after the nurse 🙂 Also, I have another friend teaching advanced english classes in China. Apparently, all the students have “english” names they’ve chosen for themselves… some of them pick things like “silk” or “chocolate” though… English words, but not names, per se. ---
**Author:** ![KittyCat444](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/848f3c/32.png) [@KittyCat444](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KittyCat444)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119/34 "2002-07-23T07:20:50Z")
My friend emigrated from Taiwan to Mexico at the age of two, and a few years later came to the US. He goes by an obviously Hispanic name, which he claims was the legal name given to him by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service. I’m not sure if he knows what he’s talking about, though - after all, he was young. ---
**Author:** ![Major\_Feelgud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3be4f8/32.png) [@Major\_Feelgud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Major_Feelgud)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119/35 "2002-07-23T07:46:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*A Western friend working in northern China was asked by his adult Chinese colleagues to provide Western names for them - somewhere in Shenyang there are seven people walking around introducing themselves to foreigners as Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy, etc. > > Meanwhile, on my birthday, I was given a Chinese name as a ‘present’, about which I was very honoured: Tsim Wai Tao (Jim, Great Wave). \*\* I’m sorry to say Jim, your given name is actually: Jim, Great Testicles. ---
**Author:** ![Karellen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/779978/32.png) [@Karellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karellen)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119/36 "2002-07-23T12:29:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Northern Piper \* > \*\*Orwell? If you mean George Orwell, his real name was Eric Arthur Blair, which doesn’t sound very Jewish. 😕 I’ve always thought Orwell was just a pen name? \*\* Doh! You’re right. Orwell was Eric Blair. What was I thinking? ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119/37 "2002-07-23T18:38:55Z")
Way back when I used to watch NYPD Blue, I remember an episode where Sipowicz was complaining about the name of an Indian murder victim. “Why can’t these people take pronounceable names when they come here?” Jimmy Smits’ character said, “Like Sipowicz?” Franz: “Don’t be a smartass.” ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119/38 "2002-07-23T21:57:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NightRabbit \* > \*\* They asked the attending nurse her name, and named their baby girl after the nurse 🙂 \*\* …which explains very neatly why they have a lovely daughter named Steve… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Squish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Squish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squish)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119/39 "2002-07-23T22:31:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Skippman \* > \*\*FWIW my family is from Germany. I’m the first American born of my line. We used to spell our last names Heuer but changed it to Hoyer to be easier to understand and pronounce. But people still get it wrong. \ \*\* My father’s side of the family is German, and emigrated to the US in the 1830s. 170 years later, and people still can’t pronounce it (and it’s one of those names that is pronounced exactly like it’s spelled). :rolleyes: The US is in the peculiar position of having English as its official language and yet having a large portion of the population with non-English surnames. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119/40 "2002-07-24T13:13:47Z")
I think the convenience factor is a major part of this. An American sounding name is easier for the general population to both remember and spell. For example, my wife’s Chinese last name is “Cao”, which generally get’s pronounced as “cow” in America. Needless to say, “cow” is not anywhere close to how it sounds in Chinese. My daughter has a traditional english first name, then her entire Chinese name in the Chinese order is her middle name, and then my Welsh last name. It’s a bit long, but she has both her real American name and real Chinese name. Also convenient for us since she is a dual national, and her Chinese name is the only one that appears on the Chinese passport. Strangely enough, in China she is called almost exclusively by her American name. I used to have a half Japanese girlfriend with the family name Smith. Dad was in the navy and on patrol when she was born. Mom wanted a “real” American name for her daughter, thus “Jane Smith” came into being. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-taking-american-names/120119.md?page=3)