Astrologer U Khin Aung Bo talks to Myanmar Times reporter Juliet Shwe Gaung. Pic: Khin Hninn Phyu

CHOOSING a name for a baby is just as difficult as choosing a profession for an adult. It’s a lifelong commitment — or so it may seem at the time.

In Myanmar, many people believe that your name can have a big impact on your life. Followers of astrology believe that a name, like a star sign, can determine your character and the number of successful or distressing events in your life.

According to U Khin Aung Bo, an astrologer and chairman of the Myanmar Astro Research Bu-reau, around 85 percent of the population is superstitious when it comes to naming their children, and sometimes themselves.

“A name has a strong influence on the direction someone’s life will take and if they are not named properly the person will experience few good things in their time,” said U Khin Aung Bo.

Ma Wint Wint Hlaing, an accountant and astrology student, also believes that your name influences your fate.

“As far as I’m concerned nobody has become successful with a bad name,” she said.

“You don’t need to have a superb one — just a pertinent one. Simple names, such as Mg Kway (Dog) and Ma Wat Ma (Pig) are derogatory.

“I once knew a girl whose name was Thet Oo Khway (Soul That Dies Young). She died at the age of 30. How did her parents expect her have a good life when her name is so terrible?”

It is common practice to discuss the choice of a name with elders, monks and astrologers in order to settle on the right one, but U Khin Aung Bo warned that a recent boom in astrologers means that you must choose whom you consult carefully.

“Many astrologers are emerging now, even on roadsides. Many do not hold the qualifications necessary to choose something as important as a name.

"I think that due to this fact people are shy about admitting their belief in astrology,” said U Khin Aung Bo.

So how do you go about choosing a name?

“A name must be calculated correctly by an experienced astrologer and should be pleasant to the ear,” he said.

Actor Min Maw Kun decided to trust his instincts and chose his own name.
Just like Hollywood actors, Min Maw Kun changed his name from Kyaw Kyaw Htay Lwin to further his career.

He said he doesn’t consider himself to be superstitious but still went to the trouble of consulting an astrologer to find the right name.

In the end, he went with his own choice.

“The name that the astrologer wanted me to take was Min Thakin (King Master),” he said. “It didn’t exactly suit me. I think your name should match your personality. I am not a king.”

His birth name represents the day he was born — Monday — and his father’s name.

Twenty-seven-year-old Ma Phyu Phyu Win said astrologers have been trying to make her change her name for years.

Even her mother is pressuring her to change her name.

“I told her she should have got it right the first time.”

“They tell me it is damaging my education but I like it,” she said.

Phyu Phyu Win means "white shine" and it was given to her after a nurse commented on her light skin at birth.

A famous astrologer, Min Thein Kha, gave her the name Ei Kyar Phyu, meaning "soft white lotus flower", but it didn’t last long.

“The new name was weak. Afterward there was no improvement in my life. I don’t believe that a name defines who you are. You need to believe in yourself and make an effort to be successful and achieve things despite it.”

U Khin Aung Bo said changing your name means nothing if the name is not accepted by the person and by the people around them.

“It is vital that people accept and use a new name in order for it to be beneficial,” he said.

The astrologer said that some people hold ceremonies to celebrate their new name and help others embrace it.

But changing your name, as well as accepting it, doesn’t ne-cessarily gau-rantee you a life of happiness and joy, said U Khin Aung Bo.
Ma Wint Wint Hlaing can vouch for that.

“Some elderly family friends who changed their names failed to get people to accept their new name,” she explained. “I think that the older you are, the harder it becomes.”

Ko Zaw Win doesn’t believe that names predicting the course of life.

“I am Buddhist and in Buddhist literature there is nothing that suggests that a name has any effect on a person’s life,” he said. “I strongly believe that all of my achievements are a result of my own efforts.”