Originally Posted by
MSPeconomist
BTW, how common is it for a Chinese name to have exactly the same (short) first and last names when written in the western alphabet? I know of several males from mainland China living in the USA who belong to this category, although I haven't seen their names in Chinese characters.
Based on a cursory review of my contact list (slightly unfair sampling because most work for MNCs), I estimate 5-10%. The thing is:
1. It's possible for anyone to go this route if they want
2. Even when doing so, going with Lee instead of Li is common, and remember that both are simply representations of 李; pinyin protocols (that many people are unaware of) don't really come into play
3. I would argue that the same principle applies to non-cookie cutter transliterations (e.g. you honestly could make a case that 大卫 and David are the same)