Picking out Chinese baby names is a lot of fun but it can also be a lot of work. Expectant Chinese parents are no different than those in the west when it comes to choosing names. They will take time to research and go through baby name dictionaries and try to find a name that both honors the family and is unique to the child.
Choosing a name will usually have more to do with the year and the season in which the child is born than it does in western culture. The zodiac plays an important part in determining what type of person the baby will be according to Chinese beliefs. Choosing a name that corresponds correctly to the date of birth is very important.
Because of this it is considered unlucky to choose the babies name before it is born. It is a custom for parents to refer to an unborn child as an animal or as some ugly thing in order to trick the spirits that want to kidnap them. This also helps to prevent the parents from choosing a name before they know what type of person the zodiac says the child will be.
There may be several names for a child in China. A new baby is given an infant name that is an informal name that is used within the family until the child is older. Later, a formal name will be given to children that they will use for the rest of their life.
The use of familiar names is important. The Chinese keep the same family Chinese surname for the last name just as we do in the west. But they will use the same middle name for all children born of same generations of a family to identify when they were born. This creates a family tree within each name. The first names differ, but the other names are used to instantly identify what family and generation a person is from.
In addition to the importance the calendar plays in choosing a name, there are several factors that go into the choice. Many names will relate to gender traits. The characters for beauty, elegance, or virtue are often found in Chinese baby girls names. The characters for power, glory or knowledge are often found in boys names.
Finally deciding on new Chinese baby names can be tricky, but ultimately not too different from how the west chooses names. Because China has enjoyed a long history, they have many traditions that may seem different, but they are well known within the culture and thus make it easy for people to understand how they should go about naming their child.