Generation name

Generation name, variously ''zibei'' or ''banci'', is one of the characters in a traditional Chinese name, and is so called because each member of a generation share that character, unlike surnames or given names. Western names do not have an equivalent custom.

This table illustrates an example.



Where used, generation names were usually given only to males, although this does vary from lineage to lineage and has changed over time.

The generation name is a single character and is typically prescribed by a generation poem specific to each lineage. These poems can vary in length from around a dozen characters to hundreds of characters. Each successive character becomes the generation name for successive generations. After the last character of the poem is reached, the poem is usually recycled though occasionally it may be extended.

Generation poems were usually composed by a committee of family elders whenever a new lineage was established through geographical emigration or social elevation. Thus families sharing a common generation poem are considered to also share a common ancestor and have originated from a common geographical location.

Generation names may be the first or second name to follow the clan name. Normally its position is consistent for the associated lineage. However some lineages alternate its position from generation to generation. This is quite common for Korean names. Sometimes lineages will also share the same in the non-generation name.

Important examples are the generation poems of the Kong and Meng family. During the Ming Dynasty, emperor Zhu Yuanzhang respected Confucius and Mencius so much that he honored their families with generation poems. These generation poems were extended with the permission of the Chongzhen Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the Tongzhi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, and the Ministry of Interior of the Beiyang Government.