Generation Names of Gins

According to Gin tradition, a person can have a number of names -- three is not unusual. As a baby, one is given a "Milk Name" ( 乳名,奶名)or "Small Name" (小名). When a person goes to school, he is given a "Book Name" (書名). And when he marries, he is given a Generation Name (號)which corresponds to his generation(班派) or (班次) in relation to his progenitor. The tradition is: all male issues of the same generation should ideally share the same second or last name, corresponding to the generation name predefined by the founder ancestor, e.g. one's great great great ... grandfather.

The photo below from the Datt Dak (達德) High School at Kaiping shows a view of the Generation Names for the various Heung. This photo was supplied by Robert Peng Kong CHIN of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Note that since that photo was taken, the relevant Heung have since updated their Generation Name list, and for a more up-to-date list, we suggest you refer to the relevant Gin Clan Family Register (甄氏族譜) , (甄氏家譜). In case you are new to this subject, we also suggest you visit the Family Roots page.

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