What is "courtesy name"

n. From Chinese culture, a given name to be used later in life in place of one's given name, as a symbol of adulthood and respect.

A courtesy name (, zi ), also known as style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in East Asian cultures, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.

Formerly in China, the zi would replace a male's given name when he turned twenty, as a symbol of adulthood and respect. It could be given either by the parents or by the first personal teacher on the first day of family school.

Females might substitute a zi for their given name upon marriage.

One also may adopt a self-chosen courtesy name.

In China the popularity of the custom has declined to some extent since the May Fourth Movement in 1919.

A courtesy name is not to be confused with an art name (hào, , Korean: 호), another frequently mentioned term for an alternative name in Asian culture-based context. An art name is usually associated with art and is more of a literary name or a pseudonym that is more spontaneous, compared to a courtesy name.