Discover why ancient Chinese parents gave children humble nicknames like pig or dog faeces to ward off evil spirits, ensure health, and express love.
Tags:Like people elsewhere in the world, Chinese people often have nicknames in addition to their official names. But some traditional Chinese nicknames may surprise foreigners: they include names meaning “Dog,” “Pig” and even “Dog Faeces.”
Although these names may sound offensive today, they were once given to children out of love and concern for their well-being. In ancient China, parents believed that giving a child a humble or unattractive nickname could help protect them from evil spirits and ensure they grew up healthy.
Why Were Children Given Such Unusual Nicknames?
The tradition dates back to a time when medical technology was limited and child mortality was a serious concern. Parents hoped their children would survive illness and grow up strong. Some believed that an unremarkable or even unpleasant name would attract less attention from evil spirits, helping protect a child from misfortune.
Animal-related names were particularly common because animals were associated with vitality and resilience. Other parents chose names inspired by hard objects, such as stones, iron hammers, iron pillars and locks, expressing their hopes that their children would become strong enough to withstand illness and hardship.
The Northern Song dynasty literary figure Ouyang Xiu (960–1127) discussed this custom in his book Dao Shan Qing Hua noting that families who wanted their children to grow up safely often chose humble names.
Examples of traditional nicknames included gou sheng (literally, “dog leftovers”), gou dan (“dog egg”), gou shi (“dog faeces”) and zhu wa (“piglet”).
Even Emperors and Famous Scholars Had Humble Nicknames.
The custom was not limited to ordinary families. Historical figures, including emperors and celebrated writers, were also known by nicknames that might seem unusual today.
Emperor Wu of the Western Han dynasty (202 BC–9 AD) reportedly had the nickname zhi, meaning “pig” in ancient Chinese.
Sima Xiangru, a celebrated writer and diplomat of the Western Han dynasty, was known as quan zi, meaning “dog’s child.”
Xin Qiji, a renowned poet and general of the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279), gave his son the nickname tie zhu, meaning “iron pillar,” according to one of his poems.
Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), was nicknamed chong ba, meaning “the eighth,” because he was the eighth child in his family.
These examples show how nicknames could reflect traditional beliefs, family circumstances and parents’ hopes for their children rather than simply serving as terms of affection.
A Nickname That Followed One Woman to University
Although the tradition has largely faded, some families continue to use these nicknames today.
A woman surnamed Zhang, born in the 1980s in northwestern China’s Shaanxi province, shared on social media that her childhood nickname was gou dan (“dog egg”).
The name became a source of embarrassment when her mother visited her at university and called her by the nickname in front of her roommates, who could not help laughing.
“How embarrassed I was at the time! But my mother is used to calling me that. Afterwards, I asked her not to use the name outside the home,” Zhang said.
Her parents had insisted on using the nickname because she had nearly died from an illness when she was only a few months old. For them, the name carried a wish that she would survive and grow up healthy.
Is the Tradition Disappearing?
With advances in modern medicine, most Chinese families no longer feel the same need to give children humble nicknames to ward off misfortune. The custom has largely disappeared in urban areas, although some families, particularly in rural communities, continue to preserve it.
The tradition returned to public discussion in 2024 with the comic television series Gou Sheng Running Quickly, which follows an orphan named gou sheng (“dog leftovers”) as he grows up.
Online reactions revealed different views about the custom. One commenter argued that humble nicknames carry parents’ heartfelt blessings and that the tradition should be preserved.
Another shared that an uncle in his seventies was nicknamed ye hu (“chamber pot”), adding that everyone in the family used the nickname and that he did not even know his uncle’s real name.
What may sound like an insult to outsiders can therefore carry a very different meaning within a family. Behind these unusual nicknames lies an old belief that a humble name could help protect a child — and a parent’s enduring wish for their child to grow up safe and healthy.
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