Chinese Given Names Since the Cultural Revolution

Abstract

AbstractChinese given names, best considered lexical, rather than onomastic, items, often reflect political, social, and cultural conditions at the time of naming. An investigation of the given names of four groups of Chinese students born in 1966, 1973, 1979, and 1981 reveals great differences between the names of those born early in the Cultural Revolution and those born later. The investigation also reveals differences between names for males and females (reflecting differing cultural expectations for the two sexes) and a recent trend toward one-character given names.