Same field · 同义
诸葛亮 was 字 孔明. 亮 and 明 both belong to the field of brightness. The 字 does not repeat the 名; it restates it in a more formal register.
A Hànzi culture guide · 字 zì
The Chinese courtesy name, explained.
A courtesy name, written 字 and pronounced zì, is a traditional second name given in addition to a person’s 名. It answered the given name rather than replacing it, and it was used among peers rather than by officials.
What is a Chinese courtesy name?
字 is usually translated as “courtesy name” or “style name”. Both translations are rough. The 字 was a second personal name, conferred when a young person came of age, and it carried a social job the given name did not.
It was not a translation of the given name, not a nickname, and not a legal name. In traditional usage, the 名 was the everyday and official name, while the 字 was the name friends, peers, students and literary circles could use with respect. The two were meant to illuminate each other: the 字 should have something to say about the 名.
Today: most Chinese speakers do not have a courtesy name. It survives as a cultural, historical, literary or creative practice — in historical drama and fiction, in artistic circles, in study of classical texts, and among people choosing a Chinese name who want something with a longer history than a transliteration.
名, 字 and 号: three names, three jobs
English uses one word, “name”, for several roles that traditional Chinese naming keeps separate. Confusing them is the most common mistake in English-language explanations.
| Term | English | What it did | Hànzi generates it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 名 míng | Given name | Everyday personal name and official identity. | Yes, on the main generator. |
| 字 zì | Courtesy name | Peer-facing name, related to the 名 by meaning, contrast or extension. | Yes, on the courtesy-name page. |
| 号 hào | Art or studio name | Self-chosen literary, artistic or philosophical identity. A person could hold several. | No. Explaining it is not the same as generating it. |
Why 号 is mentioned but never generated. Historical 号 often build on a place, a dwelling or a religious allegiance — 李白’s 青莲居士 and 苏轼’s 东坡居士, for example. The suffix 居士 carries Buddhist associations, so attaching it to an arbitrary name is not a small stylistic choice. Hànzi generates a 字 only.
How a 字 relates to a 名
A courtesy name was not an arbitrary pair of pleasant characters. The working principle was that the two names should explain each other, a relationship usually summarised as 名字相应. Documented patterns cluster into four types.
Contrast · 反义
朱熹 was 字 元晦. 熹 suggests first light; 晦 is darkness. The 字 holds the opposite as a counterweight instead of amplifying the same idea.
Extension · 引申
苏轼 was 字 子瞻. 轼 is the crossbar at the front of a carriage — the place from which one looks out; 瞻 means to look ahead. A part becomes an action.
Birth order · 排行
孙策 was 字 伯符 and his younger brother 孙权 was 字 仲谋. 伯 marks the eldest, 仲 the second; 孟, 叔 and 季 work the same way.
Form changed over time. Early courtesy names could be a single character — 屈原, whose 名 was 平 and whose 字 was 原. Two-character forms became dominant later, often opening with 子 or with a birth-order prefix.
When a courtesy name was used
Classical ritual texts describe a capping ceremony for young men around the age of twenty, at which the 字 was conferred — 男子二十冠而字. The hairpin ceremony played a comparable role for young women, though surviving examples of women’s courtesy names are far fewer, so the practice is much better documented for men. Treat sweeping claims about women’s 字 with suspicion.
Address was governed by the relationship. Elders, superiors and officials used the 名. Peers used the 字. Using someone’s 名 without standing could read as condescending or overly familiar — closer in force to calling a colleague by a childhood nickname in a formal meeting than to everyday friendliness.
The practice persisted well into the twentieth century: 鲁迅, the pen name of 周树人, was 字 豫才. It remains legible today in historical fiction, drama, and the naming conventions of Chinese and Taiwanese creative work.
How to choose a Chinese courtesy name
A good 字 does not float free of the name. It answers it, extends it, or gives it a second angle. Five steps, in order:
- Start from the given name. Look at the meaningful character. Is it about brightness, calm, distance, courage, water or learning? The 字 should have something to say about that quality — not merely sound pleasant beside it.
- Choose the relationship. Echo it in a more classical register (明 → 昭), hold its opposite as a counterweight (明 → 晦), or follow the image outward (知 → 远). A documented classical allusion is optional; inventing one is worse than omitting it.
- Pick a form. 子X is approachable and reads as classical without being obscure. X之 feels more literary. A birth-order prefix such as 伯, 仲, 叔 or 季 should only be used when the family order is actually known — otherwise it asserts something false.
- Check the sound. Read the pinyin aloud next to your full name. Tone marks are part of the pronunciation, not decoration. Look for awkward homophones, and check the characters do not accidentally form an existing word or a vulgar one.
- Use it in the right place. A 字 is a cultural and social form: writing, study, friendship, historical re-enactment, a creative identity. It is not a passport name, a bank form, or a legal document.
What a courtesy name is not
- Not a translation of your English name. Transliteration approximates sound; naming chooses meaning. They are different tasks.
- Not a legal name. It does not belong on official documents, and it cannot be used as a legal identity.
- Not a 号. The 号 is self-chosen and literary; the 字 was peer-facing and tied to the given name.
- Not a pair of pretty characters. Without a relationship to the 名, it is decoration wearing the clothes of a tradition.
Questions about courtesy names
Is a courtesy name the same as a Chinese name?
No. A courtesy name is a second personal name. The 名 is the given name used in everyday life, and a full Chinese name is a family name followed by the given name. The 字 sat alongside that name rather than replacing it.
Do Chinese people still use courtesy names?
Rarely in daily life. Most Chinese speakers do not have a 字 today. The practice survives in literary and artistic contexts, in historical fiction and drama, and among people who choose one as a cultural or creative name.
Can a foreigner choose a Chinese courtesy name?
Yes, as a cultural, literary or social practice. It is not a legal name and cannot be used on official documents. Ask a fluent speaker to check the pronunciation, the tone and the associations before you use it with Chinese speakers.
Is a courtesy name always two characters?
No. Single-character courtesy names appear in early texts, for example 屈原, whose 名 was 平 and whose 字 was 原. Two-character forms became dominant later, often starting with 子 or with a birth-order prefix.
What is the difference between a 字 and a 号?
A 字 was a peer-facing name related to the given name. A 号 was a self-chosen literary or artistic identity, often built on a place or an ideal, such as 青莲居士 for 李白 or 东坡居士 for 苏轼, and a person could use more than one.
Does this site generate a 号 as well as a 字?
No. The courtesy-name generator produces a 字 only. The 号 is explained here so that the two are not confused, but it is not generated.