Our names can have a lasting influence on our life journey.

I recalled an incident when a lady asked for a Chinese Name Analysis.

She was born in 1982, the year of Water Dog in accordance to Chinese astrology. The Dog zodiac itself belongs to earth element, but it can be accompanied by various 5 elements. In 2018, it’s an Earth Dog. 12 years ago in 2006, it was a Fire Dog.

When the lady told me her name over the phone, I informed her that her middle name would lead to challenges or divorce in her marriage.

She was surprised that I could be so spot on even though she did not provide her full birth details or Ba Zi. I explained to her that a person’s middle name actually represents and influences our marriage, interpersonal relationship, center part of our body and inner self.

The last name, or last Chinese character of our full name, talks about career, wealth, investment and health luck.

The lady’s middle name was ‘Li’ (丽), which carries the meaning of beauty. It is quite a popular name used by many ladies. However, this name is not suitable to be used by ladies who are born in the year of the Dog.

The word ‘Li’ contains a Dragon in it – according to our Chinese Name system which has its source from Taiwan. In the study of Chinese Ba Zi system, Dog and Dragon signs constitute a clash or ‘chong‘ (冲) relationship, which is deemed as very inauspicious.

In terms of health, I also cautioned her on stomach and digestion related health issues which she declared she has been facing since young.

There is a Chinese saying, ‘姓名两三字，影响你一世’. It means although our Chinese name consists of 2 to 3 characters, it has an everlasting influence on our life journey.

What are the Chinese characters that are considered as auspicious for the Dog zodiac? If you are planning or having a baby in 2018, you may refer to the points below as a guide.

General Characteristics & Destiny of People who are born in the Year of the Dog

Ancient masters examined the likes and dislikes of dogs and proceeded to extrapolate and find Chinese characters that complemented the idiosyncrasies of this zodiac sign.

Among the 12 Chinese Zodiac Signs, Dog is a widely popular animal that people would want to keep it as a pet. Dog has always been synonymous with loyalty and it has all along been regarded as man’s most trusted friend. The ancient masters have generally said that people who are born in the year of Dog are friendly, helpful and kind.

On the other hand, these carnivores can be observant on the surrounding and cautious about how they present themselves among colleagues and friends. While they can be fun-loving and a people’s person, they do know their limits, careful of how they behave and seldom make serious mistake in front of others.

When they are at their youth, they have lesser affinity and support from parents or seniors. They depend on themselves more to fight against any uphill tasks. Fortunately, with their innate resilience and diligence, most of the Dog zodiac people are able to overcome challenges and achieve good accomplishments when they arrive at their middle age.

When you are doing business with Dog zodiac people, be mindful that they are inclined to protecting their own interests. You can say that this is their intrinsic nature and do not be shocked if they suddenly appear to be aloof and less approachable.

Nonetheless, such defensive reaction can be short lived. After all, this group of people is known to be jovial and easy going.

When you are selecting names for your baby, choose Chinese characters that accentuates the positive attributes of the Dog because there is an affiliation and resonance of energy between the zodiac sign and the way the character was scripted and evolved from the Chinese oracle.

What Chinese Surname will provide a good head-start for your Dog Baby

It would be preferable for Dog zodiac babies to be born into families carrying surname like:

彭、常、康、孫、潘、朱、薑、馬、馮、許、丁、穀、黃、苗、蕭、蔡、家、象、田、葉、萬、蘇、宋、戴、鮑、連、祝、張、王 and etc.

It does not favour surnames such as:

龐、龍、龔、農、顧、賀、石、孟、丞、袁、侯、牛、鈕、司、吳、谷、商、方、鄭、斐、翁、鄔、譚、姚、潘、陳、牟、連、毛、岳、林、杭、利、包、孔、李、承、永、冰、盛、宮、嚴、金、吕and etc.

Selecting auspicious names for your baby is a rigorous and holistic process because there is a need to ensure the names complement the baby’s destiny chart, individual Chinese character within the name must also contain the right sound, right shape that ultimately creates the right result for the child in all aspects of his or her life.

It is also of paramount importance that the given name is compatible with both parents’ Chinese Name and zodiac sign.

What Chinese characters are suitable for babies born in the year of Dog

Knowing the general characteristics of the Dog zodiac will provide us with fundamental knowledge to allow us to select Chinese characters that are appropriate for them. The following Chinese characters or radicals are some examples that are considered auspicious for people born in the Dog year：

1. 演、豹、獅、琥、獻、虛、彪、虔、號、盧、峰、浪、岚、竹、節、南、馮、馬、駿

Very auspicious to see「寅」and「午」radicals because in the study of Chinese Ba Zi, this forms a 三合 [San He] or 3-Harmony relationship with the Dog. This auspicious trinity will boost a person’s luck in career, wealth, marriage and health.

2. 惠、慧、蕊、思、念、想、憲、朋、膨、鵬、騰、宥、育、有

Good to see 心 or 月radical because such words are associated with heart which is deemed as part of our flesh. Dogs enjoy eating meat. In this situation, the person having this character in their name will find that they are will be able to receive help from people.

3. 駿、透、烶、建、強、凡、芝、森、燊、炎、华、骅、琳、然

Dog sign belongs to earth element and therefore it will be auspicious if the name contains radical that belongs to fire element since it rgives rise to smooth flow of energy. For instance, radicals that carry shapes like 辶, 弓, 木, 火, 灬 are good.

4. 布、市、帛、帝、常、彩、彭、彬、衫、杉、福、珍、礼、裕

It is good to see糸、衣、采 radicals as this implies that the Dog is dressed up and this will lead to a rise in status in the society.

5. 容、宏、宇、安、室、戶、門、冠、國、園、圓、康、廉、珊

Dog enjoys staying at home and feels protected with roof or shelter over its head. Having shapes of words like 穴，门，广，册 in one’s name means stability in career and relationship, supportive relatives, friends and smooth sailing life.

6. 伸、伶、佳、仕、任、伯、住、佩、儂、依、介

Radicals such as 人 and亻symbolize a person. Dog is man’s best friend. With such words, it implies he or she is loyal. However, one should avoid using this particular radical ㄔwhich means 2 persons. This suggests that the person is disloyal especially to the partner or spouse.

7. 雄、宏、弘 、閎、 走、 步、 定、 少、 小、 士

It is good to see radicaals or words likeㄙand走as this implies that the Dog is either at rest and able to enjoy life or walking with pride so that it can command respect from people. Dogs are lovable when it is small and so using word with shape like 小 will make the person popular and well-doted by spouse or friends.

On the contrary, below Chinese characters are considered inauspicious for people having Dog zodiac sign：

1. 木、琳、杞、榮、林、柄、霖、柔、棟、森、楊、楚、村、松、樺

Inauspicious to see「木」radical because Dog zodiac belongs to earth element. Any presence of wood element in a baby’s name would result in conflicting energy in the name.

2. 晶，喬、單、嘉、品、呂、器、嚴、哥、喜、煦、吉、昌

It is bad to have one or more than one「日」or「口」radicals in the name because one 口 forms the Chinese word 吠 or “bark” where two 口 form the Chinese word 骂 or “scold” in English. Anyone born in the year of Dog who have such combination in the Chinese name tend to easily be involved in disputes, attract petty people, say the wrong things and make enemies.

3. 酉、羽、非、金、鴻、翁、廖、票、鈞 鵬、鵑、燕、雀、雁、兆、翡、飛

Considered as a serious violation of the Chinese Name principle to see radicals carrying the meaning 酉 as it is a form of punishment on Dog sign from Ba Zi point of view. If such word exists in the middle name, it will lead to stress in marriage and relationship with peers. If it is present in the last name, it will lead to issues with personal finances, challenges in career and even strained relationship with subordinates and children.

4. 晨、宸、農、濃、麗、麒、君、龙、尤、雨、言、震、霈、吾、麟

In this case, the radicals or words here symbolize or represent dragon and it constitutes a direct clash with the Dog zodiac. This is a very important rule in Ba Zi that one should not violate, failing which will result in serious consequences in career, wealth, marriage and health depending on where the word is positioned in the name.

5. 和、利、莉、秀、香、蘇、秉、豆、登、米、菊、凯、科、益、 淑

Dog does not really like to eat grain, cereal, maize and rice. When it sees it, it will play and mess with it. The presence of radicals like 禾，豆，米 in a person’s name will create undesirable effect and affect his or her attitude in life. Very often, there is a lack of perseverance at work and may display a frivolous attitude towards relationship.

6. 文、政、典、兴、光、贤、宽、雯

Radicals that have shapes like 八, 又, 儿 imply the animal is running or escaping – usually from danger. It also denotes lack of focus or determination. Overall, this signals instability in one’s life. Some of my clients that have such Chinese character in their last name often experience a hectic life in making money.

7. 山、岡、岳、岷、峻、崇、峰、崢、嵩、崑、崎、岱

Not good to have「山」radical because it is deemed as dangerous for a Dog to roam in mountain. It is basically not the Dog’s playground. This implies one has to put in a lot of effort in their endeavours but it does not guarantee a favourable outcome. Not smooth-sailing and its path can be filled with challenges.

8. 妞、紐、鈕、炄、嘉、均、生、牲、笙、性、星、臣、亚

Inauspicious to see name having radicals like 丑 or 牛 because such characters symbolize Ox which forms a punishment with Dog in the study of Ba Zi. If it is in the middle name, it will lead to conflicts and communication problem with partner. If it occurs at the last name it will have poor immunity and experience a lack of support at work.

The list of examples is not exhaustive but covers the essence and gist of names.

My objective in this article is to share with you some insights and perspectives on Chinese Name Selection for babies. I would encourage you to seek professional advice if you are contemplating of picking auspicious names for your child to have a smooth-sailing path in future.

This article is contributed by Master Jo Ching.

Master Jo Ching (莊裕善老师) is the founder of DestinyAsia Global Consultancy and Master Trainer of Destiny Academy. Besides providing professional advices to clients on their home and office feng shui, destiny analysis and auspicious Chinese Name selection, he also conducts professional feng shui courses and corporate talks. He is frequently quoted by media like Lian He Wan Bao, Asiaone, The New Paper, RazorTV, Yahoo and etc. You are welcome to visit his company website or contact him at: joching@destinyasia.com.sg

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