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My name is Xiaodong (晓栋) Winters Yan (闫). Winters is my husband’s family name, which I have chosen to carry as my middle name. At home, my parents often call me Kai (凯) as a nickname, which carries the blessing—“志在四方 (The Dream Maker)”.
Both my mother’s and father’s family names are Yan (闫), so my surname comes from both of them. In that sense, my name is “crowned” by my parents together, rather than following only the paternal line. Xiao (晓) is the generational character shared among my cousins in our extended family, symbolizing continuity and belonging. Dong (栋) literally means “pillar.” More deeply, it reflects my parents’ wish for me to become “有着坚韧意志的栋梁之才”—someone with resilience, integrity, and determination, a backbone of society who does good and meaningful work.
Regarding my middle name—"Winters," I prefer its transliteration as 温特斯 in Chinese. While 温特斯 is a transliteration rather than a Chinese word with its own established cultural meaning. Winters evokes the imagery of winter—a season of quietness, endurance, and resilience. In my name, it also represents my connection to my husband and the family we are building together. Thus, my middle name—Winters becomes a new layer of my name, connecting the family I was born into with the family I have chosen to build.
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