courtesy name

noun

An alias used instead of one's given name by peers and subordinates as a symbol of adulthood and respect in China and sometimes more broadly other East Asian cultures.

“Confucius's birth name was Kong Qiu, but his courtesy name was Kong Zhongni.”

Similar
style name
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Meanings

nouncourtesy name (plural courtesy names)

plural courtesy names

  1. historicalAn alias used instead of one's given name by peers and subordinates as a symbol of adulthood and respect in China and sometimes more broadly other East Asian cultures.

    Confucius's birth name was Kong Qiu, but his courtesy name was Kong Zhongni.

    Synonyms: style name

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn alias used instead of one's given name by peers and subordinates as a symbol of adulthood and respect in China and sometimes more broadly other East Asian cultures.

Similar
style name
Also see
style name

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 字, 表字
  • 字 (zì)alias (formerly) used in later life in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood in China and other East Asian cultures
  • 表字 (biǎozì)alias (formerly) used in later life in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood in China and other East Asian cultures
Finnish kohteliaisuusnimi
  • kohteliaisuusnimialias (formerly) used in later life in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood in China and other East Asian cultures
Hungarian (felnőttkori) felvett név
  • (felnőttkori) felvett névalias (formerly) used in later life in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood in China and other East Asian cultures
Japanese 字
  • 字 (azana)alias (formerly) used in later life in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood in China and other East Asian cultures
Korean 자
  • 자 (ja)alias (formerly) used in later life in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood in China and other East Asian cultures
Vietnamese tên chữ, tên tự
  • tên chữalias (formerly) used in later life in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood in China and other East Asian cultures
  • tên tựalias (formerly) used in later life in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood in China and other East Asian cultures
  • tựalias (formerly) used in later life in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood in China and other East Asian cultures
  • biệt hiệualias (formerly) used in later life in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood in China and other East Asian cultures
  • biểu tựalias (formerly) used in later life in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood in China and other East Asian cultures
  • chữalias (formerly) used in later life in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood in China and other East Asian cultures
Cite this entry
APA

courtesy name. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/courtesy%20name

MLA

“courtesy name.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/courtesy%20name. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “courtesy name,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/courtesy%20name.

Source: courtesy name on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.