Naming taboo

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A naming taboo is a cultural

• The naming taboo of the state (國諱 guóhuì) discouraged the use of the emperor's given name and those of his ancestors. For example, during the
  family's executions and confiscation of their property (though all Wang Xihou's relatives were pardoned and spared execution).^[2]
  This type of naming taboo is no longer observed in modern China.
• The naming taboo of the clan (家諱) discouraged the use of the names of one's own ancestors. Generally, ancestor names going back to seven generations were avoided. In diplomatic documents and letters between clans, each clan's naming taboos were observed.
• The naming taboo of the holinesses (聖人諱) discouraged the use of the names of respected people. For example, writing the name of
  Jin Dynasty
  .

There were three ways to avoid using a taboo character:

• Changing the character to another, usually a
  Gate of Divine Might (神武門; Shenwu Gate) in order to avoid using a character from the Kangxi Emperor
  's name, Xuanye (玄燁).
• Leaving the character as a blank.
• Omitting a stroke in the character, usually the final stroke.

Throughout Chinese history, there were emperors whose names contained common characters who would try to alleviate the burden of the populace in practicing name avoidance. For example, Emperor Xuan of Han, whose given name Bingyi (病已) contained two very common characters, changed his name to Xun (詢), a far less common character, with the stated purpose of making it easier for his people to avoid using his name.^[3] Similarly, Emperor Taizong of Tang, whose given name Shimin (世民) also contained two very common characters, ordered that name avoidance only required the avoidance of the characters Shi and Min in direct succession and that it did not require the avoidance of those characters in isolation.

However, Emperor Taizong's son Emperor Gaozong of Tang effectively made this edict ineffective after his death, by requiring the complete avoidance of the characters Shi and Min, necessitating the chancellor Li Shiji to change his name to Li Ji.^[4] In later dynasties, princes were frequently given names that contained uncommon characters to make it easier for the public to avoid them, should they become emperor later in life.

During the rule of the

Japan was also influenced by the naming taboo. In modern Japan, it concerns only the successive emperors. For example, whether oral or written, people only refer to the reigning emperor as Tennō Heika (天皇陛下; his Majesty the Emperor) or Kinjō Heika (今上陛下; his current Majesty). See also Posthumous name.
Historically, it was considered very rude among upper class to call someone else's real name, even if it was the lord calling his vassals. Calling someone else's real name was equivalent to picking a fight. Titles or pseudonyms were often used when calling others in place of their real names.

In Vietnam, the family name Hoàng (黃) was changed to Huỳnh in the South due to the naming taboo of Lord Nguyễn Hoàng's name. Similarly, the family name "Vũ" (武) is known as "Võ" in the South.^[7] There is also the name Phúc (福) being changed to Phước in the South to avoid the naming taboo of Nguyễn Phúc.

See also

• Imperial examination in Chinese mythology, example
• Names of God in Judaism, similar taboo
• Taboo against naming the dead, similar taboo in many cultures

References