Idea: change how Chinese names are printed so that the given names are listed first and the surname

LegacyUser

S Joseph Hoyt said: Idea: change how Chinese names are printed so that the given names are listed first and the surname is last. This would prevent confusion and a lot of explanation in the temple.

I was in the temple the other day when I was instructed to start having ordinance workers read my Chinese relatives names differently for baptisms, confirmations, and initiatory. Instead of the reading the surname first and the given names after as is listed on the card, the new policy is to read the given name first and the surname second, I'm assuming to bring it in line with Western names.

As a Chinese American, I struggle with going to the temple with Chinese names. No one means anything by it, but the names are treated a little too special by ordinance workers, and I'm often uncomfortable. Being asked to explain additional information to ordinance workers when at the temple is not something that I am excited about.

My preference would be to revert the policy so that the Chinese surnames are read first, followed by the given names. If this is not possible, changing the print order so that the names are listed in the order that church leadership wants it read will help prevent confusion for everyone involved.

Thanks for your consideration.

LegacyUser

Brett said: S Joseph

FYI

I just found this ...

Here is a Knowledge Article in FamilySearch on how to Index the Chinese names:

How do I index the Chinese names in English records?
https://www.familysearch.org/help/sal...

This is separate to any Project Instructions for a Batch ...

Brett

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dickbarnhoorn

My opinion: Nearly every (amateur) genealogist knows Chinese names are written surname first and given name after that. Don't change that. If you need to see otherways, tag it to be an English name, not a Chinese name.