Tips for choosing your "Western name" in Australia

Choosing an "English name," or a more Western-style name has become a common practice for many Chinese migrants and students upon their arrival in Australia but sometimes choosing the wrong one can make life a bit awkward... SBS Mandarin gives some advice.

Hello, my name is... Source: Wikimedia Commons

Choosing an "English name," or a more Western-style name has become a common practice for many Chinese migrants and students upon their arrive in Australia.

What names will be considered odd or inappropriate? Here are some tips from the SBS Mandarin team:

Why do people change their name?

Migrants or overseas students have been asked why they use Western names: "don't you like the name your parents or grandparents choose for you?"; "You should be proud of your own name" etc.

Some Chinese names are straight forward in terms of pronunciation, for example, Ting, Ling or Ming. Others are pronounced quite differently from how their spellings suggest, for example Qu more sound like 'Chu--ü'" rather than Q or Ku. So the question is "do you want to continually put up with your name being mispronounced?"

For many, having a Western name makes it easier for others to call you without embarrassing you or themselves, especially in public; and to reduce the alienation and hesitation others have when they want to mention you.

In many ways, choosing a Western name may actually reflect an open mind attitude to embrace life in Australia.

What names are banned in Australia?

Want to have names as unique as Lord, Prince, President, God, Messiah? Sorry, they are banned by the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages in most states. 

According to Herald Sun, a BDM spokeswoman said the Registrar could refuse to register a birth name in circumstances including that it is obscene or offensive, if it’s too long or includes symbols with no phonetic significance, or is contrary to the public interest - such as including official titles.

Anzac, Australia, Brother, Emperor, Judge, Minister, Premier, Queen, Saint, Satan, Sir and Sister are also among a list of 45 banned names by the Victorian Registrar of BDM.

Are you sure you want to be called that?

Names like Star, Sky, Fly, Kite, Bird are relatively innocuous but then there are names like Prada, Ferrari, Cinderella, or Ultraman, which might lead people to ask "are you serious?"

Here are some of the unspoken rules that are worth keeping in mind for new arrivals wanting to pick a new English name:

1. Girls' names

Although there are articles suggesting not to name girls Cat, Kitty or Cherry, because of other implications of those words, it is up to you to understand the meaning of the name and make your decision.

2. Using Adjective or Nouns for name

It's a bit of a grey area. Sometimes it works eg. Lucky but , sometimes no - eg. Pretty,  Lovely, Fantastic. 

3. Wrong Gender

Although some names are gender-neutral, working for either male or female - such as Alex, Jamie, or Jesse. Some new arrivals don't necessarily understand the gender implications of a specific name and sometimes you can look for proper similar names instead. For example, if you want to name a girl Andy, you can consider Adrienne, or Andrea; For Daniel（male name), you could go for the girl's name Danielle or Daniella.

Names to avoid

• Fruits. Watermelon, orange, apple...how does it sound in your own language? If it's odd, so does it in English (sorry, Apple Paltrow. 

• Fictional or established well known figures - Harry Potter Wang? Shakespeare Li? It's just not right.

• Celebrity Names - Yes you love Eminem, or Oprah, or Jay Z, use it if you don't mind the awkwardness after you are called.

• Brands - Gucci, Fendi, Armani, Farrari, Rolex...might look odd on your C.V.

• Pet names - Sweet, Honey, Juicy, Sugar... feminism has fought this sickly sweet euphemisms, don't bring it on yourself!

• Animals  - you might be an animal lover, but people will think you're a bit strange if you call yourself Horse, Octopus or Zebra. 

• Creative spelling - Kevin to Kavi, Jenny to  Janny, Maggie to Maggy or Meggy……You may think they are similar to some common names, except for slight difference in spelling. Simply don't make up names like that because it does not make sense.

These are only some tips. After all it is your name and it is how you want to be called, again and again, in job interview, at company conference, in school, at cafe...Think about it.