English names in China?

Question

Do all Chinese people have an English name?

Answer 1

I'm from Singapore but i don't have an English name. I'm Korean-Chinese so i have a Chinese name and a Korean name, but no English name. My parents believe that i should just stay rooted to my culture.And i've never had an intent to give myself an English name.

Some Chinese do have English names, but only for the sake of better communication. A lot of Chinese from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore (excluding myself) have English names sometimes just to fit in, which i think is extremely shameful.  

Answer 2

Many do have English names from their English classes.  As others have said, some names are strange (I had students named Dog, Policeman, and Lemon).  Those students chose words or ideas they liked and turned them into English names.  Other students had what seemed like strange names, but they were actually translations of their Chinese names.  One student's English name was Bright, but it came from her Chinese name Ming (明) which means bright/clever/smart.  

If you're wondering why Chinese people give English speakers abroad or at home their English names so often, I can tell you why my friends have done so.  For most, it's because they know it is easier for foreigners to remember and say.  Some of my friends give their English names because it is painful to hear their Chinese names butchered so badly by English speakers who have a hard time hearing and making the sounds in their name.  :-)  

Answer 3

Not all, but many university students have one.

Though some are self created, and sound nothing like English.

And some are just outright strange.

"Boomer" <== I told him he needed to change it.

Many people have normal and quite nice English names though, but they're rarely used unless you work in a language school

Answer 4

I think majority of Chinese people who comes from EX English/western colonized countries/cities like HK, Macau, Malaysia, and Singapore...etc have English names.

Whereas people from China and Taiwan, only some have English names other just have Chinese names written in Roman fonts.

Like Matty had said some of the English names Chinese people have, especially the ones from China and Taiwan sound really hilarious! I know a guy his English name is Koala!!!!! LOL

Answer 5

it all depends if you were given one at birth or you decided to change it yourself . yeah, most university students do, and almost everyone in hk has one . mainland china, some do, some don`t .