Naturally, you need ample literary and historical knowledge, as well as chuunibyou.
General English Name Structure Analysis#
- Generally, a Western English name consists of a first name, middle name, and last name. However, we can break down the meaning and purpose of each part to the following main functions: affiliation, commemoration, symbolism, and expectation. Of course, we can achieve all of these functions for a single part of the name through appropriate construction (subjective construction).
- In terms of function, the first name of a Western English name represents expectation, while the middle name and last name are determined by the family. The form of expression for expectation is generally representative and symbolic, such as Luca, which comes from Italian and symbolizes a person who brings light.
- In most cases, the later parts of the name represent affiliation. For example, in the name Charles André de Gaulle, "de Gaulle" is the last part, which means "from the Gauls." "De" is synonymous with "of" in English, and "Gaulle" means Gaul. The same applies to Sir Winston Leonard Churchill.
If the affiliation part of a name contains the structure "van der...", "von...", or "de...", then the person is generally of noble descent.
In countries with constitutional monarchies, titles and passport seals indicate whether someone is officially recognized as a noble, such as the titles Lord and Sir in the UK. - If the last part of a name has a historical origin, it is likely to be an object or place name. For example, in Albert Einstein's name, "Einstein" means "surrounded by stones."
Expansion of Meaning#
- In reality, we don't have to strictly adhere to the "expectation first, affiliation later" structure. Names can be mapped to various meanings in different ways. A name can contain multiple meanings or even contradictory meanings, which are obtained through mapping.
- For example, "Einstein" now has the meaning of "intelligent" due to Albert Einstein's achievements. Albert Einstein serves as the content of the mapping. Thus, in addition to the literal meaning of the name itself, the meaning of a name becomes richer due to its past users.
- On the other hand, we can add more specific and symbolic meanings to the name itself. For example, a three-part specific symbol: past, present, future. The first name represents one's past, the middle name represents one's present, and the last name represents one's future, or vice versa.
- For example, using "Sophia" as a representation of the future, it ambiguously points to wisdom, with the expectation that one's future self will be wise.
- In reality, mappings can also be two-part or four-part, such as rationality and sensibility, birth, growth, maturity, death, etc.
Naming "Best Practices"#
The following content is a suggestion. Please consider the actual situation to decide whether to adopt it. In reality, it is not necessary to strictly follow these guidelines, as naming itself is an art form.
- For newborns who do not yet have a name, their affiliation has already been determined. The only thing to consider is the expectation part. Parents can search for reference websites to find suitable expectations for their children. Here, we mainly discuss people who need to choose a new name.
- For those who do not have a Western name but want to choose one, the following steps are recommended:
- Use your own values and judgments rather than external ones to summarize your past and outline your characteristics.
- Based on the summary, construct the structure and function/symbolism of your name, such as past, present, future.
- Based on the symbolism/function represented by the structure in step 2, unleash your chuunibyou fantasies and design the meanings of each part of the name based on the characteristics obtained in step 1. For example, "The ruler of the world" (Trump), "victory of the people" (Jeffrey), or a knight who encounters tragedy,
a yokai manipulating boundaries,a seven-colored puppeteer, etc. - Finally, based on the meanings of each part designed in step 3, consult literature to find corresponding names. Western names are generally derived from sources such as Greek or the Bible. However, it is obvious that we can replace the middle name with names from other cultures, such as Chinese, Japanese, or Indian surnames. We can also replace the first part with names from other cultures, although it may feel a bit awkward.
- If the expectations contained in the chosen name cannot be fulfilled, it will become a curse that haunts you. Therefore, please carefully design the name when choosing.
Conversation#
- Painter: "If I have a child in the future, I will tell them to choose their own name when they come of age. That way, they will truly be themselves. And I'll use this reason to trick them into reading."
- Programmer: "What if they're too lazy to change it? Should we make the initial name more troublesome?"
- Screenwriter: "In that case, their name will have the meaning of 'poor child being teased by parents.' Ultimately, if a person has to rely on others to force them to be independent and have their own judgment, it's better not to change their name."