The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-29
NOW THE CHINESE ARE NAMED.
High Claims Made as 60 the Logic and Natu-
raIness of Their system.

IN W A"Nst
Yam Phon Lee, one Of the few educated China
men In this city. In speaking Of Chinese nomen-
clature to a reporter said:
The majority Of the names that YOU see on
signs Of laundries or tea stores kept by China
men are simply fancy names adopted for their
suspicious Significance; for instance, Hop Sing
means deserving Of prosperity 'Woh Loong'
means success through concord Nee Wah'
means integrity and harmony They are
simply notices. having no reference to the pro-
prietor or the members Of a firm whatsoever.
To call tho proprietor OF q laundry Nee Wah'
IL as absurd as calling the members OF a Sixth
avenue dry goods firm memo me impune Ia
oessit.'
Every properly constituted Chinaman has
Ave names besides his surname or cognomen.
The last Ia fixed and hai ded down from one
generation 10 another. There are more than
800 patronymics known In China, not counting
those of naturali1ed subjects who originated
from Tartary. Their derivation Is various and
Instructive, and they embody In their curious
hieroglyphlc shapes many an historic truth and
reference 70 dynastic changes, The family
names Of the first Chinese ambassador to this
country, Chin and jun. were at one time. about
500 B. C., the names Of two principnlities
under the Chow kings. Tho descendants of the
great Shun. tho ideal ruler in the golden ago Of
China, were lords OF Chin. The descendants
Of one OF the younger brothers Of WI, founder
Of the Chow dynasty, were the petty sovereigns
of jun. 1t is from this family that the present
Minister to the United States Is descended.
The family OF WI comes from the feudal sys'
TEN Of China, which existed for 1000 years
~ ,r., oknlfsbaA h- tho Arct Eyuporpr nf Tain
dynasty. He IL was who built the Great Wall.
Some names denote certain mental or per
sonnl pecnlIarlties of those who first bore them
Others were adopted on certain occasions. a'
| some grand events In the lives OF those who
assumed them. Patronvmics were known al
| the dawn Of the Chinese authentic history. but
| we're not extensively used In COMPANY witt
the prenomen In designation until Courthouse
time. Confuclus's family name OF Kung wa
| only IN existence three generations before III
did It the honor Of bearing 1t. Kung meant
an aperture. Some mon. born near certain
| rivers and certain places. took their names from
them. A few patronymics are double. that Is
consisting Of two characters, and the history
| OF some OF them Is curious.
The name Of Ou-yang, borne by a formel
| Consul-General In this city was derived In thi,
way: Ar aged man named Gu had no de-
scendants except a grandson. who had married
| but was as yet unblesssd with a male child e
bear the honored name. The young man, beinl
sickly. died, leaving his aged grandsire anc
young widow 10 mourn his death. The widow
contrary 70 the custom OF the country arc
| heedlcss Of the entreaties Of the lonely old MAJ
married again a young man named Yang and
| soon after her marriage gave birth TO a postum
nous son by her first husband. In the mean
II H. Ial Loaf m ~ In NrInpa III. a.,.
posed to be dead. Time passed on and IN,
posthumous descendant Of the Gus becam,
n famous man. having attained TO the highes
Of his stepfather' and had always been know
by the name Of Yang. But the old gentleman
Gu was not dead, as 1t was supposed. but wa'
living In retirement. One day a fortune teller
told the old man what had befallen his family
and himself. The old gentleman was thunder.
struck. Amazement and joy struggled in
his bosom for the mastery. He could not be.
in person. He sought his auondan grand.
Observation-Disclosures house. II happened that his
great-grandson was riding that day in the direc.
ton 81 the ancestral temple OF the iangs &c
nav his respects, attended by n gay retinue
and chance contrived q meeting between them
on the street. Gu, having learned who was !r
the sedan, got close TO It's side and with q cane
he had in hi, hand, began to belabor him, the
famous ~literatus Of the day: The attendant,
seigcd on, but on account Of his ago rpfrnincd
from iniuring him.. An explanation followed
/ After much WfanHl'nR DctWe'n OO ana The
Yancs, a compromise was made. The vnnua
man paid his respects to both the Gus and
Nangs by adopting the name OF GU Yang.
The name Lee, which you think has been
assumed by me, IL merely my Chinese surnnm.
srelled with English letters. Lee in Chinese
means a plum and IL identical with Iii, The
surname Of Lii Hung Chang. But ] prefer the
long sound in double g 20 the short; 10 which
some may by mistake give the long sound and
mako the name sound like he. ! have not tho
honor of being the great Ministers relation
l haven't the claim Of even being q forty-hftl
cousin. For Lee. or III, II NJ common In China
a. Smith is here. and IL borne by n lar ger mum.
Der of persons than any other name,
Every male child born In nina IL first called
by his milk namr.' Whom he grows old enough
10 attend school he takes a book name Whrr
he has learned the mysteries Of composition
he completes for literary hcnOrs under an "a.
sumed name, which Il finally adopted. Wher
he successfully passes his examinations anC
obtains his degree his equals address hin
by another. either coined by them or ndoptec
by him. At his marriage he adopts still another
called style
In addition 10 those enumerated niokname'
are also common. They nre all ~fanciful. Wee C
not have any conventional 'Thomns, Richard
or Henry Allou ~ names are words which NEAR
something and are taken from the dictionary
For example, Van means by imperial favor, anC
Phou or Foo, signifies w~ealth-that is, wealth b,
the Emperor's favor. Girls generally have onl,
the milk name and oftentimes. especially
when they have grown 20 be women, they arr
simply. DESIGNATED BY numbers according Il
the ordor Of their Dir Ii.