Abstract

Nowadays, almost everyone has his/her own name, which has been the most important identification used to distinguish a person/ a group from the other. As a product of the development and progress of human society, names  represents a kind of culture phenomenon, hence different names culture contains different information about the developmental history, religious belief, cultural tradition, values and ways of thinking of different nations. So  understanding the culture of a country’s name will help us to better understand the general culture and custom of a country indirectly. This paper, with its rich examples of both Chinese and English names, firstly describes the differences between Chinese and the English names on structures and origins respectively, then lays emphasis on analyzing their differences on naming practices so as to further deepen the understanding of Chinese and English culture and promote the cross-cultural communication.

Keywords: structure; origin; naming practices; culture

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1.Introduction..1

2.Differences on Names between English-speaking Countries and China.2

2.1 Different Structures of the English Name and Chinese Name…………2

2.2 Different Origins of the Surnames .3

3.Differences on Naming Practices.6

3.1 Religious Beliefs Vs Superstition6

3.2 Weak Hierarchy Concept Vs Strict Hierarchy Concept..7

3.3 Arbitrary Use of Words Vs Limited Use of Words ..8

3.4 Reflecting Personal Preferences Vs Reflecting Social Background..9

4.  Conclusion..11

Works Cited12