Do any names start with 谦？

Question

A while back, when I first started learning Chinese, I chose my Chinese name to be 谦恭. I chose this because 谦恭 is a loose direct translation of the meaning of my name.

So, a few years later, I found out that 谦恭 cannot be used as a name as it is improper. I did not worry about it so much then, but now I am going to be studying abroad in China in the Fall. So I would like to know if there are any names in China that start with 谦. I am really attached to 谦恭 because I have had it as my name for so long.

My actual legal name has no phonetic similarities with 谦恭 either. Just so you know.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Answer 1

Here's an alternative point of view.

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谦恭 is an okay Chinese name, albeit "uncommon."

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If you check out this article on zhummzyking的博客 it talks about 谦 as a surname.

Under part two origins the article explains:

二.姓氏渊源：

第一个渊源：源于礼法，出自春秋时期君子之道，属于以儒家礼法为氏。

谦，是春秋时期儒家学派所提倡的礼法，提倡恭谦退让为尚，有心谦和面谦之分，儒家强调以君子之风，面对同等地位之人，应在内心上恭顺谨慎、文良逊让，以显尊敬，其在史籍《史记·乐书》中就有记载：“君子以谦退为礼。”当然，如若社会地位不对等者，儒家就不讲求什么“谦”了。

春秋后期，有一些人以君子自诩，遂改以礼法为姓氏，即称谦氏，后有不少人改回原姓氏，但仍有坚持为谦氏者，世代相传至今，其姓源繁复，不可一论。

Then it talks about a fairly well known monk by the name of:

谦开善.

The page also mentions a second origin but I won't paste that here.

• 谦 is not a common surname, but it is indeed a last name.

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How about 恭 then?

This is where the China Biographical Database (CBDB) comes in handy.

A search for names with 恭 in them provides many names, alternative names and courtesy names.

Names like:

陳彥恭

程嗣恭

孫恭

Multiple people have the posthumous name:

文恭

including 王珪 and 王綯.

If you go through CBDB's name list the number of 恭's is immense.

• 恭 is a legit name.

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You might see some complaints about your name, but Chinese names are diverse and varied and after all you have evidence to back you up.

Answer 2

"恭" is rarely used in first name for Chinese people because it sounds like 公 which is an honorific

I suggest 谦遜

It is a common sounding first name. If you treat 谦 as a family name, 遜 is also a good matching given name

遜 : modest; unassuming; humble

谦: modest; humble; unassuming

陸遜 is one of the famous people in Chinese history who named 遜