Chinese couple tries to name child "@"

[Pyroshock]

Originally Posted by Associated Press

BEIJING(AP) A Chinese couple seeking a distinctive and modern name for their child chose the commonly used Internet 'at' symbol, much to the consternation of Chinese officials.

The unidentified couple and the attempted naming were cited Thursday by a Chinese government official as an example of bizarre names creeping into the Chinese language.

The father "said 'the whole world uses it to write e-mails and translated into Chinese it means 'love him,'"' Li Yuming, the vice director of the State Language Commission, said at a news conference.

The symbol pronounced in English as 'at' sounds like the Chinese phrase "love him."

Written Chinese does not use an alphabet but is comprised of characters, sometimes making it difficult to develop new words for new or foreign things and ideas.

In their quest for a different name, Li said that the parents of baby '@' were not alone. As of last year, only 129 surnames accounted for 87 percent of all surnames in China, Li said, suggesting that the uniformity drove people to find more individual given names.

"There was even a 'Zhao-A,' a 'King Osrina' and other extremely individualistic names," Li said, according to a transcript of the news conference posted on the government's main web site, http://www.gov.cn.

Li did not say whether police, who are the arbiters of names because they issue identity cards, rejected baby '@' and the others. But nationwide last year there were 60 million people's names that used "unfamiliar characters," Li said.

Wow. I guess it is a pretty unique name, but still.

[jugglinguy]

Rofl. I wish my name was $

[Redorigami]

Wow that's interesting I mean it would be a unique name but the poor child. No one ever seems to think about the child's life when deciding to pick some random letters and call it a name.

[tobias_foxdemon]

The child would be picked on for the rest of his life

[customstuff]

That would be funny if his name was "*"

[alienicecream]

I heard somewhere a couple named their child "4-real."

[Shadowstar7]

They should name their kid Tibs.

End of discussion.

[~HentaiXXX~]

*post* Oh noes I added to the discussion.

[$]

Originally Posted by jugglinguy

I wish my name was $

Sup

[[TeRa]]

That would be a crazy name, i want it, give it to me now ;D

[panphil]

i know some people named there kid Google or yahoo because they met on one of this website. My name should be ?%$*\

[madmatt621]

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?se...rre&id=5575605

[jellygod]

i feel bad for the kids that are named gaylin

[inflames07]

Originally Posted by alienicecream

I heard somewhere a couple named their child "4-real."

I read that story too. They TRIED naming their kid 4real, but the gov rejected it. So they named their kid Superman but call him 4real.

[wazze100]

Originally Posted by inflames07

I read that story too. They TRIED naming their kid 4real, but the gov rejected it. So they named their kid Superman but call him 4real.

ya i read that somewhere as well

[Silver_Brian]

There are children named Espn.

[Nyokou]

Ridiculous names.. but then again, I probably don't even want children.

And yeah.. I guess the names people have today are so.. uhm.. overused, killed.

[purebloodtexan]

Sometimes I have great dislike towards the right of free speech.

[Xception704]

Wow ... that's pretty ridiculous .. rofl.

[PsYcHoZeRoSk8eR]

Someone go name their child !