For ages, Chinese names have been the subject of interest and even jokes among some in the rest of the world. Now they are having the same effect in China.
A growing number of people in China are now using obscure Chinese characters and English words and numbers when naming their children. Names like Wang Com, Zhao C, Li U and others have sparked off a controversy among experts and local residents.
Unlike the African-American leader of the 1960s, Malcolm X, who dropped his surname to snap ties with his "white" slave masters, modern day Chinese names rarely make a political point. Rather, they have become the topic of discussion and often, ridicule among the people of China.
"These words sound more like e-mail IDs than names of people," says Zhou Huo, a Beijing government official.
Chinese parents have traditionally named their children after characters from epics, royal families or subjects of their favourite poets. More often than not, Chinese names have grand meanings. And at times they are also apt.
Some people regard giving children distinct names as social progress. Others, however, argue that English words and letters in Chinese names degrade Chinese culture and will cause trouble for children.
