子愉
The Simplest Wish
By Ivy Guo
I was born at midnight.
My given name “Ziyu” while written as one word in English is two separate characters in Chinese, each with its own meaning. The first character “Zi (子)” can be interpreted in many ways. But in this context, it means “Zi Shi (子时)”, midnight in the traditional Chinese timekeeping system. I was born at midnight. The second character “Yu (愉)” can expand to “Yu Kuai (愉快)”, happiness.
In many Chinese families, names embody parents' expectations of their newborns and often carry big messages. Popular names in different generations reflect the changing social interpretation of success over time. In the 1950s, when the People’s Republic of China was just founded, popular boy names were “建国(build the country)” and “建华(build China)”. Those names reflected the patriotic wish Chinese parents had for their children in the 1950s (Sun). In 2021, popular baby names were “宇(universe)”, “泽(brilliance)”, and “奕辰(celestial bodies)” (Tanco). Regardless of generation themes, Chinese parents like to name their babies after something big. While these expectations carry love, they also place great pressure on their children.
When I asked my parents why they named me “Ziyu”, they said they simply wanted me to live a happy life. While this explanation sounded plain to a ten-year-old, I became more grateful for my name as I grew older. One can peek from the naming trend that it is hard for many Chinese parents to accept their children growing into commoners. My parents, however, hardly place their own standards of success on me. Instead, they trust me with every decision and support me from behind the scenes. Whenever I get overwhelmed and want to retreat, my mother’s gentle yet powerful words support me. “Everyone has their own pace of life, and it’s okay to take a break” she would say. “All I wanted to see as a mother is my midnight-born baby living a happy life”.
This is the simplest wish, yet the best wish.
Work Cited
Sun, Jiahui. “Naming Trends Across the Decades.” The World of Chinese, 21 Mar. 2017,
Tanco, Jodie. “2020’s Top 10 Chinese Baby Names.” CHiNOY TV,