Yahoo Reports that China is considering changing the rules in dealing with last names. In a new measure “parents will be able to combine their surnames for their children, a move that could open up 1.28 million new possibilities.”
The reason for this move? The staggering lack of variety of last names within the red giant. Of the 1.3 billion in population there are over 93 million Wangs and 92 million Li’s – that’s over 14% of the population! In fact 100 surnames make up 85% of the population in China, sounds like a Pareto distribution if I ever saw one.
I can’t imagine that kind of lust for identity this must breed. The recent conversation about SEO optimized baby names only begins to describe the desire for an individual name, this just underscores how in a world of digital information your name is so important to your opportunity.
I was asking for something specific and perfect for my city,
Whereupon, lo! upsprang the aboriginal name!
Now I see what there is in a name, a word, liquid, sane, unruly, musical, self-sufficient;
- Walt Whitman
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