Ancient Chinese Parents Named Babies ‘Dog’ and ‘Pig’ to Protect Them

Chinese parents in ancient times sometimes gave babies humble or even vulgar nicknames, including animal names such as “Dog” and “Pig.” The names may sound surprising or unflattering to people from other cultures, but they reflected a belief that a humbler nickname could help a child grow up healthy.

The practice was part of a wider naming tradition: Chinese people often had nicknames alongside their official names. In ancient times, parents believed that the less impressive a nickname sounded, the more useful it might be in protecting the child from bad luck.

This was a desperate measure in a period when medical technology was limited and people’s average lifespans were short. Against that background, an ordinary or vulgar nickname was not necessarily meant as an insult; it could express parents’ concern for their child’s health.

Some people believe such names also carry parents’ heartfelt blessings. That belief has led to calls for these humble nicknames to be preserved. The tradition therefore links everyday language with ancient parents’ hopes for survival and good health, even when the names themselves sounded anything but flattering.

Source: South China Morning Post