Courtesy name facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Courtesy name (Zi)
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	(表) 字
Hanyu Pinyin	(biǎo) zì
Wade–Giles	(piao)-tzu
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabet	biểu tự tên tự tên chữ
Chữ Hán	表字
Chữ Nôm	𠸜字 𠸜𡨸
Korean name
Hangul	자
Hanja	字
Revised Romanization	ja
McCune–Reischauer	cha
Japanese name
Kanji	字
Hiragana	あざな
Revised Hepburn	azana

A courtesy name (Chinese: 字; pinyin: zì; literally "character"), also known as a style name, was an extra name given to people when they became adults. This tradition was very common in the East Asian cultural sphere, especially in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. It showed that someone had grown up. Men usually got their courtesy name at age 20, and sometimes women got one when they married.

Unlike art names (which are like nicknames or pen names for artists), courtesy names were formal and showed respect. In old Chinese society, it was rude to call an adult by their birth name, especially among friends or in formal talks. So, courtesy names were very important for polite communication.

Courtesy names often had a meaning related to the person's birth name. They usually had two Chinese characters after the Qin dynasty. This custom spread to other East Asian cultures. Even some Mongols and Manchus used them during the Qing dynasty. Choosing a courtesy name was a big deal because it was meant to show a person's good character and respect.

Why People Used Courtesy Names

A courtesy name was a special name given to Chinese men when they turned 20. This age, called sui in East Asian age reckoning, marked their coming of age. Sometimes, women also received a courtesy name, usually when they got married. This practice is not common in modern Chinese society anymore.

According to an old book called the Book of Rites, it was considered disrespectful for people of the same age to call an adult man by his birth name. So, a person's birth name was only used by themselves or by older family members. The courtesy name was used by other adults for formal talks or in writing.

How Courtesy Names Were Chosen

Most courtesy names from the Qin dynasty until the 20th century had two Chinese characters. Before the Qin dynasty, they usually had one syllable. These names often related to the person's given name. The connection could be:

• Similar meanings (synonyms).
• Related ideas or things.
• Sometimes, even opposite meanings.

For example, Chiang Kai-shek's birth name (Chung-cheng) and courtesy name (Kai-shek) both came from a special symbol in an ancient book called I Ching.

Special Ways to Pick a Name

One common way to form a courtesy name was to use the character zi (子) as the first part. Zi was a respectful title for a man. For instance, Gongsun Qiao's courtesy name was Zichan (子產). Du Fu's was Zimei (子美).

Another way was to show a person's birth order among their brothers. The first character of the courtesy name would tell if they were the first, second, or third son.

• Bo (伯) meant the first son.
• Zhong (仲) meant the second son.
• Shu (叔) meant the third son.
• Ji (季) was usually for the youngest son if there were more than three.

For example, Confucius was named Kong Qiu. His courtesy name was Zhongni (仲尼), with zhong showing he was the second son. General Sun Jian's four sons also followed this rule: Sun Ce (Bófú), Sun Quan (Zhòngmóu), Sun Yi (Shūbì), and Sun Kuang (Jìzuǒ).

Importance of Names

In traditional China, choosing a name for a child was very important. People believed names had deep meaning. A scholar named Yan Zhitui from the Northern Qi dynasty said that a birth name helped tell people apart. But a courtesy name was meant to show a person's good character and honesty.

This custom of using courtesy names also spread to Koreans, Vietnamese, and Japanese people who adopted Chinese customs. Some Mongols and Manchus also started using them after the Qing dynasty took over China.

Famous Examples

Here are some well-known people and their courtesy names:

See Also

• Cognomen, a third name used by citizens in ancient Rome.