摘　要

名字不单单是一个简单的符号。这个符号不但伴随着一个人的一生，区分出人与人的不同，也可以反映一种期望，例如幸福、健康、成功等等。这就叫做姓名文化。名字有时甚至可以体现一个国家的文化、民族心理以及社会现实。了解西方人的名字文化可以帮助国人更好地理解西方文化，也可以让我们与西方人在将来相处中更加融洽。这篇论文以名字的基本结构与起源为起点，将会详述英语姓名文化内涵。同时本论文将使用引用、归纳的方法论述取名的禁忌及其翻译，以便读者们可以更好地理解英语姓名。简而言之，作为一个英语的初学者，其应该理解英语姓名的文化内涵，这对他全面了解西方文化有莫大好处。

关键词：英语姓名；文化；翻译

Abstract

A name is not just a simple symbol, which people use to distinguish themselves from other people and which usually accompanies them all their lives. It may reflect a kind of wish, such as happiness, health, success, etc. That is called name culture. A name sometimes can even reveal a nation's culture, psychology and its social reality. Having a general idea about westerners' name culture can help Chinese people know the western culture better and get along well with westerners in the future. This thesis starts with the basic structure and origins of the English name. Meanwhile, taboo when naming English names and translation will be told in this thesis by citing and using inductive methods to let readers have a better understanding of westerners' names. In short, as an English learner, one is supposed to comprehend English name culture, which is of great use for him to understand the western cultural context thoroughly.

Key words: English names; culture; translation

1  Introduction
Everybody in China has a Chinese name. Names accompany people all their lives and even are taken to heaven. They sign their names with care on important documents. They scrawl their names hurriedly and illegibly on letters and forms. Most of individuals' Chinese names are given by their parents or relatives. Some may think their Chinese names sound awful. So they change their names in later life. But few of them ever have a full understanding of their Chinese names，let alone English names of western people. Therefore, author prepares for the thesis Cultural Connotation of English Names. It will be useful for people to communicate with western people in the future.
Most often, people just call each other without knowing the significance of names. They just take their names for granted. However, a name is more than a symbol or a label. It is not only a social symbol used in communication but also the reflection of culture. Like Chinese, some western parents want their children to be the person they like in the future. So they give their babies specific names. What is more, some names given are closely related to a nation's culture, psychology and its social reality. That is called name culture.