Remarkable Similarities between Traditional Chinese and Anglo–Saxon England's Naming Customs

Abstract

The Chinese given name that is composed of two characters is one name: two words put together to form one name. This knowledge is in danger of becoming lost since recent explanations state that the two characters are two separate given names. Two particular name styles also contribute to this misunderstanding. Because of the tendency to equate Chinese names with Western names, the best comparison is the two-worded Anglo-Saxon name of Old English or Old Germanic origins. Name customs in China and Anglo- Saxon England, prior to the Norman Conquest in 1066, were remarkably similar despite the geographical distance between the two countries and the differences in language and culture.