The story behind every name : a study on names and the relationship between the ancestral roots of Singaporean Chinese and their different surnames

Abstract

Few studies have been done on the subject of names in Singapore, with the most comprehensive study on personal names in Singapore last done in 1997. The primary focus of the first part of this study is to investigate the relationship between the ancestral roots of Singaporean Chinese residents and their different surnames. The second part of this study will look at the effects of the different Chinese vernaculars on naming trends in Singapore and what it may suggest about the linguistic landscape of Singapore through the years.

A total of 114 survey responses were collected, of which 98 responses were grouped and studied according to their respective Chinese surnames. Comparisons and trends were identified through the responses with the use of other relevant studies and corresponding historical facts to help map out the ancestral roots of the Singaporean Chinese community. The responses collected were also analysed alongside data collected from yearbooks, where the effect of Chinese vernaculars on naming trends in Singapore through the years was studied to find out more about the linguistic landscape of Singapore. The overall results pointed to the possibility of studying Chinese surnames as an approximation of genetic patterns, as well as highlighting the correlation between surnames and how it is impacted by factors such as the sociohistorical development of Singapore, language medium of education, changing trends of translation systems and government led initiatives.