Chinese Name Selection: Balancing Fortune through Elemental Harmony

When naming our children, we embarked on an exhaustive quest online to select English names. We meticulously considered their sounds, meanings, and spellings, as well as incorporated cherished places into these names. Our goal was to ensure that the names would resonate well with other kids and alleviate any possibility of teasing.

However, upon turning our focus to Chinese names for our offspring, a different journey began. While mntning aesthetic appeal is still paramount, there are deeper considerations based on Chinese tradition when naming a child.

In traditional Chinese belief, an individual's fortune is governed by five essential elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, which together create a harmonious balance in life. At birth, each person receives eight characters derived from their year, month, day, and hour of birth, symbolizing the presence of these elemental forces. A balanced configuration ensures harmony and prosperity throughout one's life.

Regrettably, most people are born with an imbalance among these elements – an overabundance in one while lacking others. Some parents even plan for a cesarean delivery to secure this balance for their child's future well-being.

In such circumstances, the significance of choosing a child's name takes on critical importance. A well-chosen name can offset deficiencies and promote equilibrium among these elemental forces. For instance, if someone is deficient in water elements, incorporating names with water symbolism might help rectify that imbalance.

Picking the exact name for each child requires guidance from fortune-tellers or astrologers, who must identify Chinese characters contning the necessary elements while also considering the number of strokes in the name, as this influences one's elemental balance. Meticulous attention to both aspects ensures a harmonious name.

When living in China, my family sought advice from fortune tellers to select appropriate Chinese names for our children. Astonishingly, based on their eight-character profiles, these wise sages could accurately describe our kids' personalities without ever laying eyes on them. While I don't wholly subscribe to every word of the fortune teller's predictions, this ancient practice has its merits.

Consequently, we engaged a fortune teller in China to select names for our children with the hope that these will promote their balanced disposition and potential for good fortune throughout life.

After significant alterations and improvements based on the from Yi S. Ellis and Bryan D. Ellis, published by China Intercontinental Press in 2012.
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