Naming Emily

Take a look at our Red Thread adoption Web site to read the in-depth version of how we came to name Sydney and Emily "Sydney Grace" and "Emily Faith." Regarding Emily, we've decided to retain Emily's Chinese name as assigned (presumably) by the orphanage and communicated to us by the CCAA and our adoption agency: "Lin Hui." So Emily's full name is now Emily Faith LinHui Hocutt.

Our Chinese friend, Jean, has helped us with Emily's name as she did with Sydney's name. She confirmed that Lin, as a surname, has no specific meaning, but that Hui means beams of sunlight and, in a related way, "a little bit of hope." As Jean expressed it, even when Emily faces life with only a little bit of hope, faith will see her through. That was surely among the best ways to express how important the meaning of Emily's name will be to her as she grows and develops.

We also confirmed that the characters you see above are the correct Chinese characters for Emily's Chinese name, Lin Hui. Perhaps we'll have an opportunity while visiting China to have artists spell out Sydney and Emily's Chinese name in calligraphy. In the meantime, we believe the meanings of Sydney and Emily's names will serve them well and reflect their attitudes and beliefs as they grow and develop into Chinese American little girls and young women.