Entering Chinese names correctly into Family Tree is important to ensure that the names are displayed, searched, and printed correctly.
Use the following tips to enter Chinese names into Family Tree.
In the Vitals section or first ancestor view, enter the primary or preferred name
You can enter names on the person page or from the first ancestor pedigree.
- On the person page, go to Vitals. Next to name, click the Edit icon
. Click Edit again, then make the changes and click Save. - On First Ancestor view, click the person's name. A details menu pops up on the right. Under the Facts section, click Add Fact. Click Alternate Name, Clan Name, or Caste Name.
When you enter a person’s name in the Hanzi field, enter the surname and the given name that were given at birth. For women, enter the maiden name.
Use the Chinese language template
The Chinese language template has 2 sets of fields. One set is for the family name and given name. A separate set is for Hanzi and Roman.
The language templates can be found in the drop-down menu above the Name fields. Change it from whatever shows to Chinese.
Type the Chinese characters for the surname and given name. The system automatically adds the Mandarin Pinyin spelling of the name in the Roman field. If you want a different spelling, you can replace the Mandarin Pinyin spelling with the spelling you prefer.
In the Other Information section, enter alternate names.
Recording all versions of a person’s name has several benefits:
- You preserve important facts about the person’s life.
- The person is easier to find in Family Tree. The system includes alternate names in the search.
- Researchers can find and recognize a person in historical records, even when records use different versions of the person’s name.
Types of alternate names
If you are using Family Tree in English, these 4 types of alternate names are available:
- Also Known As. Examples include other names the person used, such as name changes associated with a move to a new country.
- Birth Name. Use this option to record the name a person used before being adopted into a different clan.
- Married Name. Use this option to record the name a person used after marriage if the person adopted a different name.
- Nickname. Use this option to record nicknames that the person’s parents or close family members used.
If you select the Chinese language template, you also have the following options:
- Courtesy Name (字). Use this option to record the name given to the person upon reaching adulthood. The courtesy name was bestowed by the person's parents or by a private teacher on the first day of school. After marriage, some women adopted a courtesy name to use instead of their given name. Once given, the courtesy name replaced the person's given name.
- Art Name (號). Use this option to record the person's professional name, pseudonym, or pen name. These names were used by the educated, artists, poets, and writers.
- Taboo Name (諱). Use this option to record the individual's Taboo Name. Within Chinese culture, a taboo name is used instead of a given name when speaking or writing about exalted persons.
- Posthumous Name (諡). This an honorary name that was originally given to royalty and nobles. In recent centuries, common people have also received posthumous names. Posthumous names are used almost exclusively instead of the person's other names or official titles that the person used during life.
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