Author: Hla Min (Lifelong Learner)

I introduce myself to non-Burmese as follows:

My name is Hla Min. Hla means “handsome” and Min means “king”.

My name has only six letters, but it has been misspelled and mispronounced in more than six ways.

They include HAL, HALAL, LA, LAH, MINH and MING.

• HAL is an American name.
  HAL is also the name of a rouge computer in science fiction. The letters precede those of IBM (International Business Machines) by a position.
• HALAL means “scripture-compliant” for Muslims
  e.g. Halal meat “clean food”
• LA is a musical tone as in DO-RE-ME-FA-SO-LA-TI
• LAH is a Singlish word (Singaporean English)
• MINH is a Vietnamese name (e.g. HO CHI MINH)
• MING is a Chinese name (e.g. MING Dynasty)

It motivated me to give a series of speeches at Toastmasters International:

• Meaning of names
• Naming conventions
• Names of people
• Names of Theravada monks
• Names of places
• Names of companies
• Names of products

At Toastmasters meetings, I asked the attendees if they know the meaning of their names. A few tried to Google their names.

Remembering Names

Some people do not seem to remember names.

Can we help them?

One way to remember names is to register them preferably with an association.

Examples:

• Stein means a stone.
  Einstein means “one stone”.
• Peter means “the rock [of faith]”
  The first Pope is Peter.
  Variations : Bedr, Peta and Pedro.
• To Indians, Deep means light and implies wisdom.
  Deepavali (or Diwali) is the Festival of Lights.
• San is a prefix for male saints.
  San Francisco is the Spanish name for St. Francis.
• Santa is a prefix for female saints.
  Examples : Santa Ana, Santa Barbara and Santa Clara
• Note : Santa Cruz means the Holy Cross.

• Aung and Oung
  e.g. Hla Aung, Hla Oung
  
• Aye and E
  e.g. U Aye Maung, Professor U E Maung

• Bo and Boh
  e.g. U Win Bo, U Win Boh

• Htoon, Htun and Tun
  e.g U Tin Htoon, U Tin Htun, U Tin Tun

• Gyaw and Kyaw
  e.g. U Aung Gyaw, U Aung Kyaw

• Hpyu and Phyu
  e.g. Daw Hpyu Hpyu Aung, Daw Phyu Phyu Aung

• Htain and Htein
  e.g. U Win Htain, U Win Htein

• Htut and Tut
  e.g. U Tin Htut, ICS U Tin Tut

• Kai and Khine
  e.g. Daw Kai Kai Nyunt, Daw Khine Khine Nyunt

• Khin and Kin
  e.g. U Pe Khin, U Pe Kin

• Kyawe and Kywe
  e.g. Dr. Khin Maung Kyawe (Jimmy, BERB), Dr. Khin Maung Kywe (HIS)

• Lin, Linn, Lyn and Lynn
  e.g. U Lin Aung, U Linn Aung, U Lyn Aung, U Lynn Aung

• Maung and Moung
  e.g. U Aung Maung, U Aung Moung

• Maung and Mg
  e.g. U Maung Maung, U Mg Mg

• Mehm and Min
  e.g. Mehm Than Thoung, Min Than Thoung

• Min and Minn
  e.g. U Kyaw Min, U Kyaw Minn

• Mra and Mya
  e.g. U Tun Mra, U Tun Mya

• Nay and Ne
  U Nay Win, U Ne Win

• Oo and U
  e.g. U Khin Maung Oo, U Khin Maung U

• Pe and Hpay
  e.g. U Hla Pe, U Hla Phay

• Pike and Pyke
  e.g. U Pike Tin, U Pyke Tin

• Than and Thann
  e.g. U Khin Maung Than, U Khin Maung Thann

• Thane and Thein
  e.g. U Thane Myint, U Thein Myint

• Thaung and Thoung
  e.g. U Ba Thaung, U Ba Thoung

• Tin and Tyn
  e.g. Daw Tin Tin Aye, Daw Tyn Tyn Aye

• Wai and We
  e.g. U Nyunt Wai, U Nyunt We

• Win and Wynn
  e.g. U Kyaw Win, U Kyaw Wynn

• Lew Alcindor (UCLA basket ball champion, NBA champion with LA Lakers) changed his name to Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
  
• Cassius Clay Jr. (Olympic Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion, three-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion) changed his name to Muhammad Ali.
  
• An Italian American Chemist (named Salvitore) received a book from his supervisor as a Christmas gift.
  After reading a chapter (on Dhammapada), he left for Burma to be ordained as a Buddhist monk named U Lokathana.
  
• The Buddhist Archbishop of Latvia and Lithuania (named Tennyson) and his discipline (named F. Ludvig) were offered a monastery in the Ah Lei Pyitsayan on Shwe Dagon Pagoda. Ludvig succeeded his mentor as the Buddhist Archbishop.
  He was known as “Moke Seik Phone Gyi”.
  He became a Theravada monk with the name “Ashin Ananda”.
  He is a Laureate Poet.
  
• Maung Paw
  Saya U Htin Paw aka Maung Htin Paw in his early years
  
• Khin Zaw (KMZ)
  Khin Maung Zaw’s middle name is ignored by his colleagues
  
• San Lin Maung
  Some were assigned “Maung” as the last name (due to P/P)
  
• Several monks have to explain to immigration that U, Ashin and Venerable are prefixes for monks.
  
• Some have hyphenated names. e.g. Maung Tin-Wa
  
• Some modified the names so that they can be pronounced easily by non-Burmese.
  e.g. Kai (for Khine), Kin (for Khin)

During our younger days, some Burmese spell their name as “E” instead of “Aye“.

U E Maung served as Professor and Head of the Burmese Department at the University of Rangoon. Saya’s book “Kabyart Pann Kone” (Garland of Poems) was a prescribed text.
His spouse Daw Khin Mya Mu (aunt of Sayama Daw Khin Saw Tint, U Nay Oke Tint, Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint) was a Kyauk Sar (stone inscription) expert.

Dr. Nyunt Wai wrote :

Dr U E, Professor of Medicine, Rangoon General Hospital and Medical College; later served as the Rector of the Medical College 2.