English names: practical or just pretentious?

[Big Fluffy Matthew]

Posting in Chinese on a Engish forum: practical or just pretentious ?

[Sir Donald Bradman]

Yeah, maybe, but there is a useful purpose for using English names which is if you're doing business with westerners, most will find harder to remember Chinese names. I quite like what some HK stars do which is use an English name plus a whole Chiense name, like Tony Leung Kar Wai.

Brian

[Big Fluffy Matthew]

Is it pretentious to call yourself Jimmy ? Not really.
Is it pretentious to call yourself Apollo, Bonky or Satan ? definately

[amos]

If Lee Tung Hui had and english name, it would've saved me from calling him Lee Tung Huewee for the 6months prior to arrival.

[Big Fluffy Matthew]

It seems that it's mostly entertainers that use English names, very few politicians do, only James Soong and Annette Lu come to mind. if Chen Shui-Bian called himself Charlie Chen, it wouldn't quite be the same, seems like an unnatural mixture of English and Chinese names, doesn't seem quite right for politicians somehow, especially ones who have no interest in English.
Maybe it's not so important for entertainers, it does them good to look eccentric.

[Screaming Jesus]

It's more common in Hong Kong and Singapore. And they usually pick names they know to be normal-sounding, for business purposes. But there's no official recognition or registry for these names.

When adult Christians are baptized, they are often given a saint's name. These are usually English, or at least adaptable into English. And it's not necessary to make any official change to one's name.

I wonder if CKS ever had an English name? If so, wonder what it was?

[Poagao]

Posting in Chinese on a Engish forum: practical or just pretentious ?

Ha! Good one!

[Big Fluffy Matthew]

I wonder if CKS ever had an English name? If so, wonder what it was?

No, but had had about 3 or 4 chinese names: practical or pretentious ?

[formosa]

Notice Japanese hardly ever take English names in Japan. It's partly out of chauvinism and national pride, and partly because their names are easy to pronouce and remember in roman letters. AYUMI HAMAZAKI for example. She would never be COCO HAMAZAKI in Japan. But in general, I feel it is a good idea, in this world of globalization and modern communications, for a Taiwanese person to take an English name for business, political or just naming reasons when dealing with the outside world. As someone said above, just easier to remember. Annette Lu and James Soong. Her name in Chinese is easy to remember, LOO SHO LIEN, but Soong's name I can never remember, so I like James Soong as a name.

The younger generation seems into English names, but not the older folks, natch. So just wait a while.

Lee Teng hui did have a Japanese name, Amos, when the Japanese were here. Something like Isao Iwate or something.