Naming and Renaming Book

Author: Wang Junyun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: A name is a person's (brand), representing a unique symbol of an individual. Though short, it highly condenses profound meanings and carries the earnest expectations of elders. Names embody deep significance, carrying the information of the era and conveying the mysteries of heaven and earth. Names follow a person throughout their life. Though consisting of only a few characters, they are closely related to one's life. Behind them lies profound meaning. Names contain a person's essence, vitality, and spirit, inherit their emotions and intentions, and convey the mysteries of heaven and earth. A auspicious name is the golden key to opening the door to a fortunate life.
In ancient times, our ancestors lived in communal groups, with their primary activities being self-defense to protect themselves or hunting and gathering to sustain life. Their lives were primitive, and there was no need for names to distinguish one another. Therefore, Laozi said in the Tao Te Ching, "The nameless is the beginning of all things; the named is the mother of all things." Later, as society advanced and the population grew, interactions between people became increasingly frequent. To distinguish one group from another, a shared identifier emerged, which we call a "surname." Within a group, to distinguish individuals, a personal identifier also appeared, which is what we call a "given name." In social interactions, regardless of the group, using only a "given name" within the group is sufficient for identification. However, when interacting with another group, merely calling someone by their "given name" is not enough to establish identity. Only by combining the group's identifier ("surname") with the individual's identifier ("given name") can one fully express themselves. This combination of a group's identifier and an individual's identifier is the earliest form of human names.
Regarding the origin of human names, the original meaning can also be inferred from the Chinese character "" (name). The character "" is composed of "" (night) and "" (mouth). The Shuowen Jiezi explains, " means to name oneself, consisting of mouth and night. Night implies darkness, where one cannot see each other, so one names themselves with their mouth." This means that in early social interactions, people could recognize each other during the day through body language, appearance, or voice. But at night, when visibility was poor, they had to name themselves to distinguish one another. Thus, the creation of names arose from the need for social interaction, and their fundamental purpose was to facilitate identification in social settings. However, early human names were not as fixed as later ones. For example, when people "named themselves with their mouth," they might use a distinctive feature of their body to make it easier for others to identify them. Similarly, when others wanted to identify someone, they might use one of that person's features as their name or nickname. This practice is quite similar to how we later call someone with particularly tall stature a "giant" or a woman who walks with a swaying waist a "willow in the wind."
Research suggests that the earliest people to possess fixed names may have been the leaders of tribal societies in legend or heroes who emerged in tribal wars. This theory aligns with the laws of social development. After the invention of writing, names that were originally expressed orally evolved into written forms. In some pottery shards from primitive societies that have been discovered, one or two symbols are carved, which experts believe are related to early human names. If this interpretation is credible, then different names would be the earliest form of Chinese writing. During the Shang and Zhou periods, Chinese characters appeared in large numbers and began to stabilize, with a significant portion being names. For example, in the oracle bone inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty, there are not only the character "" but also names like Shi Ren, Zhong Ding, Wei Bing, and Xiao Yi. These are among the earliest names recorded in written form.
In summary, names emerged during the primitive period of human society.