Editing Given name (section)

===East Asia===
{{See also|Chinese given names}}

Despite the uniformity of [[Chinese surname]]s, some [[Chinese given name]]s are fairly original because [[Chinese character]]s can be combined extensively. Unlike European languages, with their Biblical and Greco-Roman heritage, the [[Chinese language]] does not have a particular set of words reserved for given names: any combination of Chinese characters can theoretically be used as a given name. Nonetheless, a number of popular characters commonly recur, including "Strong" ({{linktext|伟}}, ''Wěi''), "Learned" ({{linktext|文}}, ''Wén''), "Peaceful" ({{linktext|安}}, ''Ān''), and "Beautiful" ({{linktext|美}}, ''Měi''). Despite China's increasing urbanization, several names such as "Pine" ({{linktext|松}}, ''Sōng'') or "[[plum tree|Plum]]" ({{linktext|梅}}, ''Méi'') also still reference nature.

Most Chinese given names are two characters long and—despite the examples above—the two characters together may mean nothing at all. Instead, they may be selected to include particular sounds, [[Chinese tones|tones]], or [[radical (Chinese characters)|radicals]]; to balance the [[five elements (China)|Chinese elements]] of a child's [[Chinese astrology|birth chart]]; or to honor a [[generation poem]] handed down through the family for centuries. Traditionally, it is considered an [[naming taboo|affront]], not an honor, to have a newborn named after an older relative and so full names are rarely passed down through a family in the manner of American English ''Seniors,'' ''Juniors'', ''III'', etc. Similarly, it is considered disadvantageous for the child to bear a name already made famous by someone else through [[romanization of Chinese|romanizations]], where a common name like [[Liu Xiang (disambiguation)|Liu Xiang]] may be borne by tens of thousands.

[[Korean names]] and [[Vietnamese names]] are often simply conventions derived from [[Classical Chinese]] counterparts.{{Citation needed|date=March 2012}}

Many female [[Japanese names]] end in ''-ko'' ({{linktext|子}}), usually meaning "child" on its own. However, the character when used in given names can have a feminine (adult) connotation.

In many Westernised Asian locations, many Asians also have an unofficial or even registered Western (typically English) given name, in addition to their Asian given name. This is also true for Asian students at colleges in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia as well as among international businesspeople. {{citation needed|date=August 2021}}
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