A Child Chosen - Perspectives of an Adoptive Parent

Naming your child, adopted from China

by Marcie on March 13th, 2008

Naming an adopted child is daunting but for adoptive parents there can be even more things to consider; culture, heritage, ethnicity, what the birth mother initially named (or didn’t name) the child, what the child is already being called (like a nickname), and so forth.

How does one go about naming a child from China? There are, of course, some very intricate rules to follow and some that you can modify (if you chose).

1. Many Chinese already go by “Western” names but also have traditional Chinese names (or so I have found in my research on Chinese names…someone tell me if I am incorrect.) So, keeping the name from China is a great way to go. Your child will always have a connection to her history and since each person has a unique name it will always be theirs. (This is my personal preference and many others.)

2. Pick a meaningful Chinese name: There are several sources that can help. Books like Best Chinese Names and Name Your Baby in Chinese can help both transcribe a name from English or help find the perfect Chinese name.

3. Create your own Chinese name. This is complicated because you don’t want to make an insulting mistake. Use the above and below sources to help.
4. Transcribe an English name. Use the Advanced English Chinese Pinyin Dictionary. In this case I suggest you follow the detailed instructions I found at Adopting Children from China: Naming Your Baby

5. Keep the child’s given name as a middle name and give the child a new first name. The child will still have a link to their past but will have a new future with their first name.

If you are adopting or have adopted from China, how did you chose a name for your child?

Share This

Related Stories

• China’s One Child Policy Suspended
• China Sprout…Sprouts!
• Wait Lenghtens for China Adoptions
• China Adoption Requests Increase
• China Earthquake Creates Orphans

POSTED IN: China, Countries and Domestic