Aisin Gioro - Family Generation Names

Family Generation Names

Before the founding the Qing Dynasty, the naming of children in the Aisin Gioro clan was quite random. The Manchu people originally did not use generation names before they moved into China. After taking control of China, however, the family gradually incorporated Han Chinese ways of naming. During the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, all of Kangxi's sons were to be named with a generation prefix preceding the given name. There were three characters chosen, Cheng (承), Bao (保), and Chang (长), before finally deciding on Yin (胤) in Kangxi. The Yongzheng Emperor's sons switched from Fu (福) to Hong (弘). Following Yongzheng, the Qianlong Emperor decided that all subsequent male offspring would have a generation code placed in their name according to a Generation Poem, of which Qianlong composed the first four characters, 永 綿 奕 載. Moreover, the names of brothers (born to the same father) will often contain a similar radical or meaning. The Aisin Gioro added this innovation to the generation name. A common radical was shared in the second character of the first name of royals who were in line to the throne, however, royals who were not in line to the throne did not share the radical in their name. In one case, the Yongzheng Emperor changed the generation code of his brothers as a way of keeping his own name unique. Such practices apparently ceased to exist after the Daoguang Era.

Subsequent: Qi 启, Dao 焘, Kai 闿, Zeng 增, Qi 祺