Hi! I’m currently writing down all of the names you guys provided, thank you so much! I’m looking forward to more ;)
However I did notice that some comments showed a certain amount of confusion, and it seemed like some people just didn’t understand my reasons for this post. So I’ll just try my best to answer all of your rhetorical and literal questions. This is probably going to be a looooong comment, so if you don’t feel like reading it then please just skip it!
Q: She’s in her teens! Surely she’s old enough to pick her own name?
A: Well yes, of course she is! I’m merely just widening the options for her. I’m not just picking one by myself and telling her to stick with it. But I hope you guys understand, it’s not always that easy for someone to pick a “foreign” name for themselves. There are many culture-and-language-related factors that can make a seemingly good name into a bad one in the actual country. I have a Chinese friend who is 27 years old, and until a few months ago her English name was Cherry. And don’t get me wrong, I am a strong believer/supporter in uncommon names, but my friend was a bit mortified when she found out that her name would definitely be “strange” and “unusual” in America. She just thought it was a bit cute and a not-that-rare name in the western areas, and I remember her telling me she felt really humiliated when her foreign colleagues looked at her strangely when she introduced herself. So I don’t think it’s weird for anyone to ask advice when it comes to new names; some people choose for themselves, and some people ask around just to be sure. There’s no wrong way to go with it.
Q: Shouldn’t you try to anglicize her actual name?
A: That’s actually a pretty good idea! Unfortunately her parents are uncomfortable with the whole name being revealed, but they said I could tell you guys the first alphabet of her Korean name, which is B :)
Q: Why should she give up her name to make a new one? Is it necessary?
A: I noticed that some people actually tried to explain this in the comments, which I am truly, immensely grateful for. It’s just like they said; we are not “giving up” our original names when we’re looking for a Western name. A majority of Asians (or at least Koreans) do this a lot, and we are not giving up on our identities. Personally, I don’t think identities are something that can be so easily thrown away by a name. I also think this is a big cultural difference. Getting a new foreign name doesn’t naturally delete the original name you had, it’s just another part of you that you identify yourself with. My Korean name is Min Young, and I have heard, countless times, the wrong pronunciation by westerners. I didn’t like how my name would naturally become “Minion“ when they call me, so I just used my English name (which is Ashley) from then on. It’s for simplicity’s sake, and nothing else.
So far, we love all of the names you gave us, even the hilarious ones. Thank you!