Names

In my opinion, the 'British Names' article provides a unique account of British naming from antiquity to present days. It was interesting to see how naming varies from Britain to my nation, and that defines the differences in our cultures. From the article, I have gained many new insights into the role of ancient languages, religions, as well as foreign invasions and culture integration in determining British names. In addition, fashion and family class can also serve as powerful forces that influence parent's decisions when choosing names for their children. In the article, it is found that English surnames fell into six main categories, including paternal names, nicknames, place names, topographical names, occupational names and officerial names. This shows us how British surnames can be linked to their daily life.

On the other hand, meaning plays an exceptionally vital and central part in determining names for children in Asian families. In my culture, names often carry some sort of meanings, such as characteristics that the parents wish their children would possess in the future. My full name is Nguyễn Vũ Trí Trung. My first name is 'Trung' which can be interpreted as loyalty or faithfulness. 'Meanwhile, 'Tri' stands for wisdom and intelligence. I also found out that my family name is actually a combination between my dad's surname 'Nguyen' and my mom's surname 'Vu'. However, 'Nguyen' was still put in front of 'Vu', which was probably due to the fact that men were valued above woman in the old days. My family name 'Nguyen' belongs to the Nguyen Dynasty, one of the most prosperous and powerful reign in the history of Vietnam. Although the surname 'Vu' dose not have any specific meanings, I am still very proud to have it in my name since it is the surname of my grandfather from my mother side.