[Deleted]
I want to change my English name:(

How about Flora? or other name?I need help!!!

Apr 12, 2015 4:10 PM
Comments · 36
2

I agree with Jmat that the meaning is not the most important thing in an English name.  The only name I know the meaning of is my own, and I only know that because I researched it!  What's more important is to find out when the name was popular, so you know if it sounds like the name of a young person or the name of an old person.  In the case of "Flora," this is a name that many of my grandmother's friends have.  I have never met a young person with this name.

I recommend that you do one of two things.  One option is to do as Jmat said, and pick a name that sounds similar to your Chinese name.  Another option is to pick a name which many other girls your age also have.  To do this, search for "popular girl names in [year]" where you replace [year] with your birth year.  For example: I was born in 1994, so I could search for "popular girl names in 1994".

Make sure you pick a name that you can pronounce easily, and if a name has multiple spellings you should use the most common one (if you don't know which spelling is most common, you can ask here on italki).

April 12, 2015
2

If you're going to choose an English name, don't go by what the name means (or what some website tells you it means). You need to do it in Chinese because you don't have a phonetic alphabet. Having an alphabet means that English doesn't need to use existing words to make new ones.

 

To English speakers, names are just combinations of syllables. Most English-speaking parents choose names based solely on what sounds good to them, and most native speakers have no idea what their own name supposedly means.

 

That's why English speakers roll their eyes when learners ask for a name that "has a good meaning". I can think of a few girl names that are named after flowers, but otherwise I have no idea what most girl names are meant to mean. I can't think of a single male name I know the meaning of.

 

Remember, names in English are nothing more than just labels. Any website that tells you what a name <em>means </em>is actually telling you that name's etymology.

 

There's no reason for you not to use your Chinese name. Of course, English speakers will pronounce it without the tones, but there is nothing strange or weird about using foreign names in English. If you really want an English name, I suggest you either find one that sounds similar to your Chinese name or find/make one which sounds nice to you. There's absolutely no reason to do anything else.

April 12, 2015
2

If you're going to choose an English name, don't go by what the name means (or what some website tells you it means). You need to do it in Chinese because you don't have a phonetic alphabet. Having an alphabet means that English doesn't need to use existing words to make new ones.

 

To English speakers, names are just combinations of syllables. Most English-speaking parents choose names based solely on what sounds good to them, and most native speakers have no idea what their own name supposedly means.

 

That's why English speakers roll their eyes when learners ask for a name that "has a good meaning". I can think of a few girl names that are named after flowers, but otherwise I have no idea what most girl names are meant to mean. I can't think of a single male name I know the meaning of.

 

Remember, names in English are nothing more than just labels. Any website that tells you what a name <em>means </em>is actually telling you that name's etymology.

 

There's no reason for you not to use your Chinese name. Of course, English speakers will pronounce it without the tones, but there is nothing strange or weird about using foreign names in English. If you really want an English name, I suggest you either find one that sounds similar to your Chinese name or find/make one which sounds nice to you. There's absolutely no reason to do anything else.

April 12, 2015
2

If you're going to choose an English name, don't go by what the name means (or what some website tells you it means). You need to do it in Chinese because you don't have a phonetic alphabet. Having an alphabet means that English doesn't need to use existing words to make new ones.

 

To English speakers, names are just combinations of syllables. Most English-speaking parents choose names based solely on what sounds good to them, and most native speakers have no idea what their own name supposedly means.

 

That's why English speakers roll their eyes when learners ask for a name that "has a good meaning". I can think of a few girl names that are named after flowers, but otherwise I have no idea what most girl names are meant to mean. I can't think of a single male name I know the meaning of.

 

Remember, names in English are nothing more than just labels. Any website that tells you what a name <em>means </em>is actually telling you that name's etymology.

 

There's no reason for you not to use your Chinese name. Of course, English speakers will pronounce it without the tones, but there is nothing strange or weird about using foreign names in English. If you really want an English name, I suggest you either find one that sounds similar to your Chinese name or find/make one which sounds nice to you. There's absolutely no reason to do anything else.

April 12, 2015
2

If you're going to choose an English name, don't go by what the name means (or what some website tells you it means). You need to do it in Chinese because you don't have a phonetic alphabet. Having an alphabet means that English doesn't need to use existing words to make new ones.

 

To English speakers, names are just combinations of syllables. Most English-speaking parents choose names based solely on what sounds good to them, and most native speakers have no idea what their own name supposedly means.

 

That's why English speakers roll their eyes when learners ask for a name that "has a good meaning". I can think of a few girl names that are named after flowers, but otherwise I have no idea what most girl names are meant to mean. I can't think of a single male name I know the meaning of.

 

Remember, names in English are nothing more than just labels. Any website that tells you what a name <em>means </em>is actually telling you that name's etymology.

 

There's no reason for you not to use your Chinese name. Of course, English speakers will pronounce it without the tones, but there is nothing strange or weird about using foreign names in English. If you really want an English name, I suggest you either find one that sounds similar to your Chinese name or find/make one which sounds nice to you. There's absolutely no reason to do anything else.

April 12, 2015
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