If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
A quick look at my Google analytics showed that there were some searches on baby names.
I do actually have stories or rationale in choosing the Chinese names for Caitlin and Caleb. But as with the privacy concerns on having such a public blog, I have never wanted to share their fullnames nor put up clearly identifiable pictures of my subjects; be it my kids, immediate or extended family members.
But I still do want to share the meanings behind their names, cos I do like them
With my siblings and I, my mum named us with the same middle name and a different third name.
So since my surname is Low, my siblings and I are named in the following fashion:
| Surname | Chinese name |
| Low | AAA XXX |
| Low | AAA YYY |
| Low | AAA ZZZ |
At least as far as the respective genders go. My sisters were also similarly named, but with different AAA from the boys.
So, similarly with Caitlin and Caleb now, their Chinese names are in similar fashion.
Again, just like with their older cousins, my mum chose the calligraphy Chinese names for my kids as well.
For the AAA part of their names, mum’s chosen a character which means wisdom (just like Daddee’s but a different character
It’s quite a unique name and a rarely used character in everyday language; one that we are wondering if the school teachers would even know when they start schooling!
For the second part (the XXX), for Caitlin, she chose one that describes clear skies (clarity, pure)
. Chinese speaking readers would immediately know this character. For Caleb, it’s one that already used by his cousins. It’s one that describes the solar sun; in fact it is the same character for the sun…. at least I think that’s the character- I gotta check with mum to confirm!
But the one of the criteria Mummee and I had was that their names had to be easily exclaimed. Parents who holler at their kids for whatever reasons (”COME HERE and finish your dinner!!”) will know what I mean!
For my generation the spelling of our names were based on how they were pronounced in our own dialect (which is Hokkien or Fujian). For the next generation kids, we’ve started spelling them using pinyin, which I personally think is a lot cooler, especially with the use of letters “X” and “Q” in their initials
More general information on Chinese characters, pinyin, and naming suggestions.
Interestingly enough too, that the naming “convention” or nomenclature in our culture is such that one’s name cannot take on the same calligraphy character of an elder. I don’t think this is perpetual, meaning there is some limit or cap to the number of generations before, before the name can be used again- gotta check with my mum on this too. This was highlighted when she was cracking her head thinking of names, and ruling out those due to the above “limitation”.


Our son’s middle name is that of a strong tree.
I chose their names. I like the symbol of a tree because it means life and growth. Also, I thought, more poetic and artistic than if you go out right with meanings like wisdom or son.
Micah’s Chinese name means Tree of Mercy, because I felt God’s mercy on our lives when he was conceived and protected through the 1st trimester.
Max’s Chinese name means Tree of Righteousness. It’s a very Christian theology - that our lives are planted by God.
Typical Chinese names convention!
My son’s middle name come from the CLAN ASSOCATION !!! It’s a hard to pronounce middle name meaning ‘double’. Giving the last name was therefore tough (no hollering using their Chinese names for me!).
In the end we choose a name that meant double prosperity! And since the Chinese name didn’t hold any biblical significance at all. For me, the Christian name had to be all significant!
In fact wanted to name my son Caleb initially too! So, I think Caleb in itself is also a GREAT name!
Thanks ladies for your response.
Clan Association?? That somehow reminds me of generations of kungfu styles being passed down through bloodlines only!
Wow, I am not sure if this makes it more complex or easier to name your children - we just had to pick names we liked. Generally based on whether we had ever come across someone with the same name and whether or not those person’s were idiots.
And of course all names of ex’s were out on both sides
Back during my grandparents’ days, and to an extent even my parents’ days, illiterate folks would name their kids according to their birth order, literally. These were likely the peasants in remote China who practised this.
Certainly took the headache out of looking for suitable, pretty, feminine or masculine names!