Question about Chinese surnames in fiction

[jeannie_lin]

Hello everyone!
I've been mostly lurking here, but I have a serious question and I don't know any better place than this.

I have a wuxia inspired story that I wrote for a mainstream English market. It's set in the late Tang dynasty. I chose the names to be accessible to a western reader as this is a stumbling block for a lot of English speakers when reading wuxia.

I know that Chinese surnames come from specific regions. I didn't adhere to this when choosing names, but now that the book is actually going to get published and there's a possible series in negotiation, I'm worried about authenticity. Would you be bothered if a family with the surname "Shen" lived in a western area vs. the eastern province of Zhejiang where that name actually originates or is common?

Thank you so much for any help you can give!
-Jeannie

[Suet Seung]

Would you be bothered if a family with the surname "Shen" lived in a western area vs. the eastern province of Zhejiang where that name actually originates or is common?

It's true, there could be a villlage/town/area where most families carry the surname Shen. But I'm open to the possibility that a Shen family could relocate for purposes like if their family opens a sort of business, they might have a franchise outside of their hometown? Or for other reasons that require them to live away from their hometown, it's possible?

[Trien Chieu]

Hello everyone!
I've been mostly lurking here, but I have a serious question and I don't know any better place than this.

I have a wuxia inspired story that I wrote for a mainstream English market. It's set in the late Tang dynasty. I chose the names to be accessible to a western reader as this is a stumbling block for a lot of English speakers when reading wuxia.

I know that Chinese surnames come from specific regions. I didn't adhere to this when choosing names, but now that the book is actually going to get published and there's a possible series in negotiation, I'm worried about authenticity. Would you be bothered if a family with the surname "Shen" lived in a western area vs. the eastern province of Zhejiang where that name actually originates or is common?

Thank you so much for any help you can give!
-Jeannie

Well, I am no wuxia expert but I don't think the last name matter that much anyway, but do not use the same first name and same last name that have been used by other wuxia writers. For example, you should not use the popular names such as Kwok Jing, Wong Yung, Yang Kang, Chor Lau Heung, Siu 11 Lang, Chan Ka Lok, ect... However, if you use the name like Wong Fei Long, Hak (black) Long Fei, Hak Tai (big) tiger, Bak (white) Ma Fei, Bak Siu tiger, ect (I believe these names haven't use yet), it would be ok. Even though these last names have been used by other wuxia writers but as long as you don't use the full name that they used, they can't do anything about it.

[Guo Xiang]

Well, I am no wuxia expert but I don't think the last name matter that much anyway, but do not use the same first name and same last name that have been used by other wuxia writers. For example, you should not use the popular names such as Kwok Jing, Wong Yung, Yang Kang, Chor Lau Heung, Siu 11 Lang, Chan Ka Lok, ect... However, if you use the name like Wong Fei Long, Hak (black) Long Fei, Hak Tai (big) tiger, Bak (white) Ma Fei, Bak Siu tiger, ect (I believe these names haven't use yet), it would be ok. Even though these last names have been used by other wuxia writers but as long as you don't use the full name that they used, they can't do anything about it.

That's really excellent advice, TC!

[Ren Ying Ying]

Hello everyone!
I've been mostly lurking here, but I have a serious question and I don't know any better place than this.

I have a wuxia inspired story that I wrote for a mainstream English market. It's set in the late Tang dynasty. I chose the names to be accessible to a western reader as this is a stumbling block for a lot of English speakers when reading wuxia.

I know that Chinese surnames come from specific regions. I didn't adhere to this when choosing names, but now that the book is actually going to get published and there's a possible series in negotiation, I'm worried about authenticity. Would you be bothered if a family with the surname "Shen" lived in a western area vs. the eastern province of Zhejiang where that name actually originates or is common?

Thank you so much for any help you can give!
-Jeannie

The "origination" of most surnames probably took place in time periods like 1000 BC (or even earlier). By the late Tang dynasty lots of migration should have happened so there shouldn't be too much concern of not having a Shen in Zhejiang area (though the name "zhejiang" might not have existed during that time).

Frankly, I don't know which surnames originated from which regions and I doubt most chinese would. Basically, I wouldn't worry about it.

[jeannie_lin]

This makes sense. There would definitely be migration and no one but a serious academic would question the origins. I don't know why I got so worried all of the sudden -- I think they deeper you get into research, the more you can get yourself tied up.

Thank you everyone for the responses.

[Guo Xiang]

This makes sense. There would definitely be migration and no one but a serious academic would question the origins. I don't know why I got so worried all of the sudden -- I think they deeper you get into research, the more you can get yourself tied up.

Thank you everyone for the responses.

As with RYY, you don't have to worry about the origin of family names. I think regional/city names tend to be the bigger problem, as they change over time and you might get the wrong name.

Research into this area is more important IMO.

[flamer]

Tang Dynasty thats so cool, cited by XIAO FENG to be a time of exceptionally high standard of martial arts and I assume he was comparing with DGSD.

[jeannie_lin]

As with RYY, you don't have to worry about the origin of family names. I think regional/city names tend to be the bigger problem, as they change over time and you might get the wrong name.

Research into this area is more important IMO.

Good point! I found this great resource that shows the current names matched to the names and military defense commands of the Tang dynasty.

http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Tang/tang-map.html

[Guo Xiang]

Good point! I found this great resource that shows the current names matched to the names and military defense commands of the Tang dynasty.

http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Tang/tang-map.html

Excellent website! It is very useful for reference! *bookmarks!*