Why do most non-Christian Chinese S'poreans give themselves adopted Western first names?

[True Believer]

Last time, a colleague mentioned during a conversation that her child complained to him about why all her classmates have Christian names and she doesn't have one.

Many non-Christian Millennials and Gen Zs prefer to have an English name because they think it is cooler than their official Chinese names. Choosing an unofficial English name allows them to pick a personal identity that feels uniquely theirs.

 

[Dongyi]

Christians all over the world (not just in S'pore) have a beautiful tradition of choosing names of faithful followers of Jesus in the Bible because they want their children to carry a reminder of God's character and faithfulness in their lives. Jewish names like Daniel mirror his faith and courage, Elijah was a prophet of boldness and prayer, Emanuel means "God with us", David was a beloved man after God's own heart, Gabriel means "God is my strength", Sarah was a woman of faith and promise, Grace means God's gift of grace etc.

Is Duluxe a Christian name?

 

[True Believer]

Is Duluxe a Christian name?

@duluxe is the Anti-Christ. He probably stole the French phrase de luxe, which means luxury.

 

[laksaboy]

Not all angmoh names are 'Christian' names, fyi. Christian names are those that you can find in the Bible.

Also, not every name from the Bible is used to name people. No one will name their son Judas or their daughter Jezebel. It's the equivalent of naming your son/daughter 'Chow Chee Bai' or 'Yao Siu Kia'.

 

[True Believer]

There are many non-Christian Indians in S'pore who also adopt Western names which sound similar to their official names. Examples are Devraj being replaced with David, Harish becoming Harry, Sandeep transformed to Sam, Thambiah = Terry, Ramasamy = Roy, Vikram = Victor etc.

 

[True Believer]

Not all angmoh names are 'Christian' names, fyi. Christian names are those that you can find in the Bible. Also, not every name from the Bible is used to name people. No one will name their son Judas or their daughter Jezebel. It's the equivalent of naming your son/daughter 'Chow Chee Bai' or 'Yao Siu Kia'.

I mentioned earlier that Christians have a beautiful tradition of choosing names of faithful followers of Jesus in the Bible because they want their children to carry a reminder of God's character and faithfulness in their lives.

 

[Ah Max]

eh my angmo name iz maximilian though i m not a christian. wats ze problem?

 

[True Believer]

eh my angmo name iz maximilian though i m not a christian. wats ze problem?

Maximilian has Latin origins and means the greatest. There is nothing wrong with you calling yourself Max or Maximilian. You can also call yourself Hitler, Genghis Khan or even Chaka Khan. Those names do not have to appear on your birth cert or NRIC too.

 

[True Believer]

Genghis Khan and Chaka Khan

 

[Balls2U]

It is common for parents in Roman Catholic families in S'pore to choose the name of a saint like Francis, Thomas, John, Paul, Peter etc. between the Christian and surname for their children i.e. Timothy Paul Chua.

Like that drunken lawyer, Steven John Lam.