Imagine a crowd of men somewhere in China. They were all born in the Mao era — from 1950s to 70s. A strong wind knocks off the hats of ten men. We should hear ten exclamations. What’s behind these shouts? At least a shout from one guy whose first name contains the word “Xiao”; one whose first name contains the word “Dong”; and one whose last name is Wang.
Hello, my name is Xiaodong Wang. You see, I am three times more likely to have my hat gone with the wind.
The second word, or the second syllable, in the first name is the key. In Chinese, Dong means “East” –the holy place where the sun rises and lights up the world. East is always connected to some eerie prestige. This should explain well why Chinese men love to have Dong in their first names. But it can’t address the dramatic increase in numbers after the1950s since the communist party took over the reins of the country. The first country chairman, Mao, had the first name called ZeDong. Naming after heroes is a universal naming rule. But it could easily go to a cult when fueled by religion-like worship. Working for the government, my parents couldn’t be more ordinary among those that were profoundly brainwashed. Looking at the newborn baby in excitement, the first naming idea they came across was something connected to Chairman Mao. Yet there was another hidden but pervading rule. In a country where the government could jail people for any reason or no reason, naming after the ruler was an easy way to show loyalty and gain some sense of security. But traditionally an identical name would be considered offending the king –-Mao was just the king short of a label. In the end, Dong became the most popular first name among boys.
The other syllable, Xiao, means the morning sun. It promises a good start and a bright future. Together the two syllables present a picture where the sun rises in the east.
Wang is arguably the №1 surname in China. Its ranking competitor is Lee. Both Wang and Lee have close to one hundred million users in China; both originated from kings. A fun fact is, Lee was the king’s family name of Tang Dynasty, the pinnacle of the Chinese regime in its history. But Wang means exactly “the King” in Chinese.
Okay, this is my full name: Xiaodong Wang. But why is everyone calling me Bond?
It a fashion among Chinese to have an English name. In a barbershop, you are likely welcome by a guy called Tony; In a Starbucks by a lady called Jennifer, and in a restaurant by Mike. Yes, I have an English name, too. I got it at my English class in college. One day the British teacher, who knew little to none Chinese, told us, “you all have to have fixed English names, or I will never remember you.” When it came to me to pick a name, I called out “Bond” –-I didn’t know that was actually a surname, and weird enough the teacher didn’t point it out either. I was totally inspired by the famous quote in the Bond movie, “I am Bond, James Bond.” Apparently, my English teacher was not a Bond fan. But at that time every boy dreamed of Bond’s two magic power: never dying and Bond girls. Bond girls never showed up in my life — my wife was not a Bond fan either. But I persevered with the name until today. Now fewer and fewer people would come across “James Bond” when I introduce myself, “Hi, I am Bond.” They often ask back in bewilderment, “Bond?” After getting the full story, they would probably be saying it silently — OK boomer.
This is the story of my name. My name is Xiaodong Wang. For those who can’t remember it — I am Bond, James Bond.
