“What does your name mean” was the first question I got during the most important interview in my life. This also becomes the question that I like to ask others. I enjoy listening to these backdrop stories of a person’s life and what meanings they derive from it.
I was born to Chinese parents who hardly speak any English. By family tradition, like everyone else in my generation, my name should have a character “明 Ming”, or clarity in English. My father decided on the word “题 Ti”, which means questions. Combined, Ti Ming, or questions clarified, has set me on an eternal journey of seeking answers to life’s questions.
The beauty of Chinese is the same pronunciation can have different words, thereby giving different meanings. The same name also reminds me to “啼明” (wake up early and work hard), , 题名 (succeed in intellectual pursuits, one of the Confucian ideals) and “提名” (nominate others for success). So together the narrative is: work hard, succeed by helping others, and figure out the question of life 😜.
It never occurred to my parents that when combined, Timing can also be pronounced as timing, as in the right time to do something. The English pronunciation of the Mandarin characters happens to be the same as Cantonese. Given my love for Cantonese culture, it is a perfectly justified pronunciation. Still, I feel humbled when people say that “Timing is everything”, even though the country song of the same name (Timing is everything) is my guilty pleasure.
Timothy was the church name that I was given while being a hospital volunteer. I like the meaning behind the name - in God’s honour. To me, it is a reminder of the quote by Ragen that “God’s work must truly be our own”, and that by Hu Shih “Success does not necessarily lie with you, but none of the efforts will be wasted”. It reminds me to be part of something big - in a team (Tim).
The surname, 刘, means to kill. Combined with the first name, this gives the name a somewhat Buddhist meaning - to kill my external self. It consists of two parts, 文 and 刀, or literature and weapons. Being good at both is a Confucian ideal; it also serves as a Taoist reminder to keep a balance between the extremes. It comes from the family that started the Han Dynasty, whose name is still used by the more populous ethnicity in the world. Of course, the surname is mostly paternal, and I always hold pride for my female ancestors and what they have sacrificed for the family.
I would love to hear your stories too, and please feel free to comment below :)
