The Story of Names

Author: Swizhi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-09-01
Features: This small book is titled The Story of Names, meaning it is not a work of onomastic studies but rather aims to be in-depth yet accessible, easy to understand, and entertaining. It provides cultural knowledge for young friends studying literature and history, as well as "material for conversation" for those in science and technology. In primitive societies, anyone who was born had a surname and a given name, indicating their membership in a clan. Therefore, every clan member could recite the names and genealogy of their ancestors, often going back four to fifty generations or even seventy generations. Surnames originated from women; initially, the patriarchal head of a clan, including his ancestors (great-grandparents, grand-grandparents, grandparents), sons, and their wives, concubines, servants, etc., were referred to as "clan" members. The patriarch and his clan members were not usually called by surnames but by "clans," meaning that surnames were branches of the clan, while clans were the titles of the lineage. This book primarily focuses on the origin, function, evolution, and methods of Chinese—Han Chinese—names. After the Three Kingdoms period, during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, nomadic peoples rose to power, establishing regimes and opposing the Han Chinese. There were both wars and interactions, resulting in a mixed residency. However, advanced economies and cultures were often absorbed and adopted by later-developing ethnic groups. The Northern Wei Dynasty's changes in surnames and names, prohibition of "barbarian" clothing and language, and promotion of intermarriage between Han and "barbarian" people are one example.