Anthroponymy across the decades amongst the Chinese Singaporeans

• Main Author: Gan, Chloe Jing Yong
• Other Authors: Francesco Cavallaro
• Format: Thesis-Master by Research
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2023
• Subjects: Humanities::Linguistics::Anthropological linguistics
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/164970
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

There is no single culture in the world where individuals do not have names. As the world becomes closer through the process of globalization, cultures are seen to change and shift according to the cultures they are in contact with. These shifting practices include naming customs. This study is a sociolinguistic study of the Chinese Singaporean naming patterns from the independence of Singapore till the present-day. The study looks at how these naming practices have changed over the years and investigates the reasons behind the changes. The study utilized a mixed methods approach which involved the creation of a database of names that showed the trends of naming, as well as conducted interviews with parents to understand the motivations behind the naming of their children. The results showed that the main trends that can be observed are a hybridization of naming practices, combining both Western and Chinese naming practices, as well as a clear increase in Western Given Names. At the same time, there is a decrease in names that only have Chinese given names. The results also show that parents were influenced by globalization forces when choosing Western given names, while also considering fengshui when choosing Chinese given names. The naming practices reflected a new Chinese Singaporean identity that is being created to better represent them on an international platform. Further research can look at the naming practices of the other main racial groups in Singapore and how this contributes to the creation of a unique Singaporean culture.