If you’ve known me personally, you might be perplexed by the inclusion of “Sophia” in my name here. This was not a name given to me and it’s also not a name that I’ve ever gone by (publicly or otherwise) at the time of writing this. “Sophia” is my Christian name, which I chose to take as I was baptized on October 30, 2022.
Why “Sophia”? It is a Greek word (σοφία) that means “wisdom,” used in the New Testament and in the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible). My given name in Chinese, 维嘉 (Romanized as “Weijia”) can be translated into English as “good thought,” or more idiomatically “wisdom.” So, meaning-wise, “Sophia” doesn’t so much change my name as much as double it. But in Chinese, “Weijia,” I am told, is a name with masculine connotations, and in Western and Christian culture “Sophia” is a name with decidedly feminine connotations. So as a nonbinary person I appreciate having a name that now is no longer either male or female, but both, and as a Chinese-American I appreciate having a name that also is no longer either Chinese or Western, but both.
So what should you call me if you run into me? Any combination of “Weijia” and “Sophia” you would like! They are both my name now.