A SURVEY ON CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS AND SATISFACTION WITH THE NAMES OF POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS IN A CHINESE UNIVERSITY

УДК 316.6

Abstract

As a core marker of individual identity and a critical sociocultural symbol, personal names embody a nation’s historical traditions, family values, and social psychological characteristics. This study empirically examines the cultural connotations and subjective satisfaction of contemporary Chinese naming practices based on a questionnaire survey of 144 postgraduate students in a Chinese university. It analyzes five dimensions: name satisfaction, naming decision-makers, embedded cultural elements, naming preferences, and cognitive attitudes toward names. Results show that respondents report a high overall level of satisfaction with their names. Names are primarily given by parents, with parental expectations as the dominant cultural component. Satisfaction mainly stems from positive meanings and simplicity for memorization, whereas dissatisfaction arises from ordinariness and lack of originality. More than half of the participants believe that names are associated with personal development and destiny. This study reveals the continuity and transformation of Chinese naming culture in contemporary society and provides empirical evidence for understanding its modern cultural value.

Аннотация

Как ключевой маркер индивидуальной идентичности и важный социокультурный символ, личные имена воплощают в себе исторические традиции, семейные ценности и социально-психологические характеристики народа. В данном исследовании на основе анкетного опроса 144 аспирантов одного из китайских университетов эмпирически анализируются культурные коннотации и субъективная удовлетворённость современной китайской практикой именования. Анализируются пять измерений: удовлетворённость именем, лица, принимающие решение о выборе имени, заложенные культурные элементы, предпочтения при выборе имени и когнитивное отношение к именам. Результаты показывают, что респонденты в целом высоко удовлетворены своими именами. Имена в основном даются родителями, причём ожидания родителей являются доминирующим культурным компонентом. Удовлетворённость обусловлена главным образом положительным смыслом и простотой запоминания, тогда как неудовлетворённость возникает из-за обыденности и отсутствия оригинальности. Более половины участников считают, что имена связаны с личным развитием и судьбой. Данное исследование раскрывает преемственность и трансформацию китайской культуры именования в современном обществе и предоставляет эмпирические данные для понимания её современной культурной ценности.

Keywords: naming culture, naming customs, cultural implications, name satisfaction

Ключевые слова: культура имён, традиции именования, культурное значение, удовлетворенность именем

Introduction

It is widely believed that a name not only represents a person’s reputation and character, but also embodies ideals and blessings. Over thousands of years of Chinese civilization, names have transcended their mere referential function and become a cultural complex that integrates ritual traditions, family ethics, philosophical ideas, folk beliefs, and aesthetic pursuits, forming a distinctive Chinese naming culture [1, c.82]. In the practice of naming, every era has its own trends and cultural characteristics. Broadly speaking, the frequency with which certain words appear as names can reveal cultural traces: during the Xia and Shang dynasties, people were named after the Heavenly Stems, reflecting a belief in the sun god; during the Zhou and Qin dynasties, the Heavenly Stems were combined with the Five Elements (metal, wood, water, fire, earth), indicating that the concept of “matter” had already emerged; under the dominance of Confucian culture, names often reflected virtues such as benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and fidelity [2, c.180-184].

Personal names not only affect others’ perceptions and appraisals but also exert potential impacts on individuals’ psychological states and behavioral patterns [3, c.1067]. Contemporary Chinese naming practices exhibit three salient features. First, continuity: traditional cores such as the expectations of elders, generational seniority markers, and auspicious meanings are preserved, maintaining the cultural roots of names [4, c.4-7]. Second, contemporaneity: modern aesthetics, values, and social trends are incorporated to avoid stereotypes and trite conventions while pursuing novelty and elegance [5, c.41-43]. Third, emotionality: names carry familial affection and good wishes, serving as important vehicles for emotional expression [6, c.126]. Names are not only individual identifiers but also become crucial windows through which to observe national cultural psychology, social value changes, and the transmission of intergenerational ideas [7, c.102]. Consequently, Chinese names exert a significant influence on impression formation, generating both positive effects, such as enhancing personal attractiveness and evoking positive emotions [8, c.208; 9, c.1] and negative effects, such as negative connotations and derogatory implications [10, c.54].

By collecting empirical data through a questionnaire survey, this study systematically analyzes the cultural elements, the characteristics of name-givers, the current state of name satisfaction, and cognitive attitudes in contemporary Chinese naming practices. It aims to reveal the practical forms and internal logic of name culture in present-day society, thereby providing empirical support and theoretical reference for inheriting fine Chinese naming culture and understanding contemporary socio-cultural psychology.

2. Research Design and Participants

2.1 Research Methods

A questionnaire survey was adopted, with items designed around respondents’ basic information, name satisfaction, name-givers, cultural elements in names, naming preferences, and cognitive attitudes toward names. A total of 20 questions were included, covering single-choice, multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and sliding scale formats to ensure the comprehensiveness and validity of the data.

2.2 Participants

The survey was distributed among postgraduate students majoring in English, and a total of 144 valid questionnaires were collected. The demographic characteristics are as follows: in terms of gender, there were 133 females (92.36%) and 11 males (7.64%). Regarding name-givers, parents named 94 respondents (65.28%), grandparents named 27 (18.75%), and relatives or friends named 17 (11.81%). The educational level of the name-givers was predominantly junior high school (47.22%), followed by senior high school (22.92%) and primary school (18.06%).

2.3 Data Processing

Descriptive statistics were used to conduct quantitative analysis on satisfaction scores, the proportions of various choices, the distribution of cultural elements, and other data, to objectively present the cultural characteristics and satisfaction status of contemporary Chinese naming.

3. Results and Analysis

3.1 Overall Status of Name Satisfaction

The survey employed a satisfaction rating scale ranging from 0 to 100. The results showed a mean score of 80.72, indicating that respondents were generally highly satisfied with their names and that the majority approved of their own names. The high scores reflect that the names align with respondents' expectations in terms of meaning, aesthetic appeal, and practicality, and demonstrate the care and prudence exercised by elders in the naming process.

3.2 Reasons for satisfaction

The multiple-choice results showed that the proportions of reasons for satisfaction, from high to low, were as follows: positive meaning (49.31%), simplicity and ease of memorization (48.61%), congruence with one’s temperament (31.94%), novelty and distinctiveness (27.08%), cultural significance (17.36%), bringing good luck (17.36%), enhancing self-confidence (11.81%), and increasing personal charm (10.42%). This demonstrates that positive meaning and simplicity and practicality are the core factors for respondents’ approval of their names, giving equal weight to traditional cultural connotations and practical needs in daily life. Congruence with personal temperament and uniqueness were the next most important factors, reflecting contemporary people’s pursuit of individuality and compatibility in names. Cultural significance, luck, and self-confidence accounted for relatively lower proportions, indicating that satisfaction is more oriented toward practical feelings and fundamental values.

3.3 Reasons for dissatisfaction

The proportions of reasons, from high to low, were as follows: too common and lacking novelty (35.42%), failure to embody cultural connotations (18.06%), rare characters that are easily misread (4.86%), undesirable phonetic associations (7.64%), dislike of the meaning (2.08%), and excessive unconventionality (1.39%). The data indicate that a lack of uniqueness and cultural depth are the main reasons for dissatisfaction; conventional and ordinary names struggle to meet contemporary aesthetic and value pursuits. Practical drawbacks such as rare characters and pronunciation issues account for a relatively low proportion, suggesting that contemporary naming is already fairly standardized in terms of practicality.

3.4 Name-Giving Agents

Parents, as name-givers, accounted for 65.28%, making them the absolute core group; grandparents accounted for 18.75%, and relatives and friends for 11.81%. No one had changed their name by themselves. This result conforms to Chinese family traditions: parents, as the guardians of their children, bear the primary responsibility for naming, blending affectionate expectations with contemporary ideas, while grandparents’ naming preserves the influence of family traditions, reflecting the intergenerational transmission of culture.

3.5 Composition of Cultural Elements in Names

The element of bearing the expectations of the name-giver ranked first (61.11%), followed by the Eight Characters (Bazi) and the Five Elements (20.14%). Other elements, such as genealogical generational ranking (8.33%), flowers and plants (5.56%), natural phenomena (4.17%), literary phrases (3.47%), and cultural allusions (2.08%), accounted for relatively low proportions. This outcome profoundly reflects the core characteristics of Chinese naming culture: emotional sustenance and good wishes constitute the foundation, and names serve as carriers of the elders’ expectations for the health, success, and happiness of the younger generation. Traditional folk beliefs such as the Five Elements and destiny still exert a certain influence, demonstrating the continuity of folk culture. In contrast, elements such as literary allusions and cultural ethics account for a relatively low proportion, suggesting that contemporary naming places more emphasis on straightforward emotional expression rather than obscure cultural references.

3.6 Cognition of the relationship between names and destiny

53.47% of respondents agreed that names have an impact on future prospects and destiny, while 46.53% held the opposite view. The close split indicates that contemporary cognition of names is characterized by the coexistence of rational thinking and tradition: on the one hand, people acknowledge the psychological suggestion and social impression functions of names; on the other hand, they reject feudal superstition and maintain rational judgment.

3.7 Social evaluation and experiences related to names

46.39% of respondents had been complimented on their names; 84.85% had not experienced unfair treatment because of their names, with only a small minority suffering ridicule or discrimination; 87.63% had never changed their names, 12.37% had changed their names, and 16.49% had considered changing their name but ultimately gave up.

The data show that the overall social evaluation of names tends to be positive, there are relatively few negative experiences caused by names, and name stability is strong. The low rate of name changes suggests that the majority recognize the value of their names and are reluctant to alter them lightly, reflecting the identity-signifying meaning of names.

4. Discussion

4.1 Cultural continuity and change in contemporary Chinese naming

This survey confirms that the core traditions of Chinese naming culture have been perpetuated. First, the function of emotional sustenance remains unchanged: names always carry the elders’ good wishes for the younger generation, serving as carriers of familial affection and family values. Second, the tradition of auspicious meaning remains: elements such as five-element fortune-telling and good wishes are still valued, and the cultural psychology of seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune persists. Third, the family-led naming practice remains: parents and grandparents are the principal name-givers, continuing the function of transmitting family culture.

4.2 Factors influencing name satisfaction

Name satisfaction is influenced by four major factors: cultural connotation, uniqueness, practicality, and emotional value. Names that carry positive meaning, profound cultural depth, distinctiveness, and simplicity tend to achieve higher satisfaction; conversely, names that are conventional, lack depth, or have poor practicality are prone to cause dissatisfaction. The average satisfaction score of 80.72 indicates that contemporary naming has achieved a relatively good balance among cultural expression, emotional sustenance, and practical function, both inheriting cultural roots and adapting to modern life.

4.3 Research limitations

The respondents of this study were drawn from graduate students at a single university, and although they came from various provinces of China and possess a certain degree of geographical representativeness, the sample was predominantly female, presenting some limitations. The study did not conduct an in-depth analysis of the differences in name culture across regions, ethnic groups, and age cohorts. Future research could expand the sample scope and carry out cross-group and cross-regional comparative studies to further enrich the empirical findings of Chinese naming culture.

5. Conclusion

Through 144 valid questionnaires, this study systematically explored the cultural implications and satisfaction status of contemporary Chinese naming. The following conclusions are drawn.

First, respondents are generally highly satisfied with their own names, with an average score of 80.72 points. The main reasons for satisfaction center on positive meaning, simplicity, and ease of memorization, while the main reasons for dissatisfaction are plain and common names and a lack of cultural depth.

Second, parents are the core name-givers, and the educational level of name-givers is predominantly at the secondary education level, indicating that naming culture is popular and grassroots in nature and not strictly constrained by educational attainment.

Third, the cultural elements of contemporary Chinese names are centered on the elders’ good wishes. Traditional elements such as five-element fortune-telling and family generational markers still have an influence, while the proportion of cultural elements such as literary allusions and ethical morality needs to be enhanced.

Fourth, contemporary people’s cognition of names is characterized by the coexistence of rationality and tradition. Over half of the respondents acknowledge the positive influence of names. The social evaluation of names is positive, name stability is strong, and names hold significant meaning in terms of identity and cultural symbolism.

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