In ancient Chinese society, there was indeed a strict distinction between names and characters:
First name( míng ): Also known as "real name", it is usually named shortly after the birth of a baby by a parent or elder based on family traditions, expectations, or auspicious meanings. A name is a part of a person's privacy, and only close family members, elders, and people with a higher status than themselves can call them by their first name to show affection or respect. In social situations, especially in public, it is considered impolite to call someone by their first name. word( zì ) is also known as "table character", which is further derived by the prestigious elders of the family or the person according to the meaning of the name when the crown ceremony (men) or the 笄 ceremony (women) is held in adulthood, and is used to express personal ideals and ambitions, moral qualities or life pursuits. A character is a kind of annotation or extension of a name, which has a certain meaning, and is usually more solemn and subtle than a name. Friends, peers, and social interactions are honored by referring to each other's words rather than their first names. Men generally take the word when they celebrate the crown ceremony at the age of 20, which marks the beginning of men's social responsibilities and rights from adolescence to adulthood. At the age of 15, women take the character for the ritual to symbolize that women have entered the marriageable age and have the ability to assume family and social roles. 
Cao Cao(Mingcao, the word Mengde): Cao, originally meaning mastery, control, the name Cao Cao means that he has the ability and wrist to control the overall situation; Meng De, Meng is the first or the eldest means, virtue refers to virtue, implying that Cao Cao, as the head of the Cao family, has noble moral character and leadership temperament. Xiahoudun(Ming, the character let): 惇, honest and heavy, implying that Xiahou is loyal and simple; Yuan Rang, Yuan is the head, let is humble, meaning that he can still maintain a humble character in a high position. Sima Yi(Mingyi, the word Zhongda): Yi, beautiful, profound, implying Sima Yi's profound intelligence and good moral character; Zhong Da, Zhong is second, and Da refers to accessibility, which means that he ranks second in the family and is resourceful. Zhang He(名郃, the character 儁乂): 郃, harmony, aggregation, implying that Zhang He has the ability to unite his subordinates and reconcile conflicts; 儁乂, 儁 for the handsome, 乂 for governance, implying that he is an outstanding military talent, good at governing the army. Xu Huang(name Huang, word Gongming): Huang, bright, bright, meaning Xu Huang is bright and upright, and his behavior is conspicuous; Gongming, public is fair, Ming is wise, meaning that he is impartial, wise and decisive. Cao Zhi(Famous planting, word building): planting, planting, implying that Cao Zhi is like a well-cultivated tree, which is expected to become a pillar of the material; Zijian, Zi is a descendant, and Jian refers to the establishment of meritorious deeds, implying that as a member of the Cao clan, he shoulders the heavy responsibility of creating a foundation. Zhong Xuan(Name, character Yuanchang): 繇, the ancient same as "徭", the original meaning of labor, forced labor, later also has the meaning of following, implying that Zhong Xiang is diligent in doing things; Yuan Chang, Yuan is the beginning, fundamental, and often eternal, implying that its calligraphy art is the first to open a generation, and the style has been passed down for a long time. Sima Shi(Famous teacher, Ziyuan): Shi, honorific title teacher or commander of the army, implying that Sima Shi has outstanding leadership skills; Ziyuan, Zi is the son, which may indicate the family inheritance, and the Yuan is the beginning, implying that he inherits the foundation of his father and opens a new chapter of the era. Deng Ai(name Ai, the word Shizai): Ai, a kind of herbal medicine used for moxibustion therapy in ancient times, has the meaning of curing diseases and saving people, and also symbolizes tenacious vitality; Shi Zai, Shi is a warrior or a scholar, and it means to carry and load, implying that Deng Ai, as a learned general, can carry and realize great strategic ideas. Hua Xin(Mingxin, the word fish): Xin, joy, love, implying that Huaxin is optimistic and loved by others; Ziyu, Zi is an honorific title, and fish has rich meanings in traditional Chinese culture, such as sensitivity, freedom, etc., implying that Huaxin is smart and flexible, and everything is harmonious. 
Liu Bei(Name, the word Xuande): Ready, complete, prepared, Liu Bei's name means that the appearance seems ordinary, but in fact, there is great ambition inside, and everything is prepared only to owe the east wind; Xuande, Xuan is profound, and virtue is morality, implying that its character is noble and unfathomable. Guan Yu(name feather, word cloud long): feather, bird feather or arrow feather, symbolizing speed and sharpness, implying that Guan Yu is agile and has strong combat effectiveness; The clouds are long, the clouds refer to the sky, and the long refers to the long time, implying that his prestige covers the world like clouds and has far-reaching influence. Zhang Fei(name flying, word wings): flying, the ancients often used the scene of birds spreading their wings and flying high to fable people's lofty ideals and top ambitions, and vigorous skills; The word "benefit" has the meaning of increasing and increasing, while "virtue" refers to morality and morality. Therefore, "Yide" can be understood as the enhancement of moralityThere are two different expressions of Zhang Fei's character - "Yide" and "Yide", which is caused by the evolution and confusion between historical records and literary and artistic creations. According to historical records, the most authoritative historical material "Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms" clearly records that Zhang Fei's character is "Yide". Chen Shou used the expression "Zhang Feizi Yide" in the "Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms, Shu Shu, and Zhang Fei's Biography" and other related biographies, which is recognized as a correct statement in academic circles and history. However, in later literary works, especially the popular ** "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and its different versions, Zhang Fei's characters have changed. For example, in the Song and Yuan dynasties, the "Three Kingdoms Zhipinghua" and some opera scripts used the title "Yide", which may be due to oral transmission, artistic processing by the author, or errors in the process of printing and dissemination. In the popular Ming Dynasty "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" Mao Zonggang commentary, Zhang Fei is called "Zhang Yide", this version has a far-reaching influence, making the name "Yide" more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, so that many people generally accept the title "Zhang Yide" in modern times, although it is different from historical records. To sum up, Zhang Fei's character "Yide" is a historical fact, while "Yide" is mainly based on the changes in the interpretation and dissemination of literary and artistic works. Zhuge Liang(Mingliang, the word Kongming): bright, bright, illuminating, implying that Zhuge Liang's wisdom is like a torch, illuminating the way forward; Kong Ming, Kong is transparent, Ming is wise, meaning that he has insight into everything and is extremely wise. Zhao Yun (name cloud, word Zilong): cloud, unpredictable, symbolic and changeable, implying that Zhao Yun is astute; Zilong, Zi is the descendant, and the dragon is the Chinese totem, which means that he will be a true dragon that continues the glory of Shu Han. Fa Zheng(Name, word filial piety): righteous, righteous, correct, implying that the law is right, acting fairly, and adhering to principles; Filial piety, filial piety is filial piety, and straightness is integrity, showing that it both abides by filial piety and has a straight character. Ma Chao(Mingchao, the word Mengqi): Super, transcendence, excellence, meaning that Ma Chao is heroic and extraordinary, and has outstanding ability; Meng Qi, Meng is the eldest in the ranks, and he rises to the rise, indicating his status in the family and his rise. Pang Tong(名通, 字士元): unity, unity.
1. Commandery, implying that Pang Tong has the ability to command the whole army and coordinate the strategy; Shi Yuan, Shi is the intellectual class, Yuan has the first place, the beginning of the meaning, indicating that Pang Tong is the world's first-class wisdom. Huang Zhong(Mingzhong, the word Hansheng): loyalty, loyalty, loyalty, embodies Huang Zhong's loyal quality; Han Sheng, promoted in the Han Dynasty, expressed its gradual improvement in status during the Shu Han Dynasty and its loyalty to the Han family. Guan Xing(Mingxing, the word Anguo): Xing, rising, revitalizing, implying that Guan Xing can inherit the will of his father Guan Yu and revitalize the family and the country; Anguo, a peaceful country, expressed his desire to pursue social stability and national tranquility. 
Sun Quan(name power, word Zhongmou): power, power, trade-off, implying that Sun Quan was born with the talent to hold power and the ability to balance the interests of all parties; Zhong Mou, Zhong is secondary, and Mou is resourceful, which means that he is the second son of the Sun family, and he is very resourceful. Zhou Yu(Mingyu, the word Gongjin): Yu, beautiful jade, meaning that Zhou Yu is as dazzling as a treasure jade; Gong Jin, Gong is fair, Jin is a treasure, meaning that he is of good character and talented. Lu Xun(Mingxun, the word Boyan): Xun, humble, meaning that although Lu Xun is young and promising, he can remain humble and low-key; Bo Yan, Bo is long, and words are speech, which means that he can show a mature and steady side in words and deeds. Lu Su(name Su, the word respect): Su, serious, respectful, implying that Lu Su is solemn and takes things seriously; Zi Jing, Zi is a gentleman, Jing is respect, which means that he is a model of a gentleman and is respected. Yellow cover(name cover, word public cover): cover, cover, shelter, implying that the yellow cover has the momentum of covering the sky and the sun and sheltering the people's mind; The public also contains justice, and the cover has the meaning of tolerance, implying that he is impartial and selfless, and has a broad mind. Ganning(Mingning, the word Xingba): Ning, tranquility, stability, meaning that Ganning longs for peace but can fight well; Xingba, Xing refers to the rise, and Ba has the meaning of overlord, showing his ambition and desire to achieve a hegemony in troubled times. Ding Feng(Mingfeng, the word Chengyuan): Feng, obedience, dedication, implying Ding Feng's strict adherence to military discipline and loyalty and dedication; Cheng Yuan, Cheng Wei, inherited, inherited, Yuan metaphor is deep and broad, alluding to Ding Feng's profound military literacy and excellent strategic vision. Zhu Huan(name Huan, the word Xiu Mu): Huan, stable and long-lasting, implying that Zhu Huan is stable and has a lasting record; Hugh Mu, Hugh has the meaning of praise, Mu means gentleness and tranquility, and the overall reflection of Zhu Huan's gentle character and commendable virtue. Lu Kang(name resistance, character childhood): resistance, resistance, resistance, indicating that land resistance has the determination and strength to fight against a strong enemy; Childhood, showing integrity at an early age, praised him for his noble character and firm beliefs since childhood. Ling Tong(name, word public achievement): unity, leadership, integration, reflecting Ling Tong's leadership and organizational ability; Public merit refers to the public and the country, and merit is meritorious, and together it is the achievement of meritorious service to the country, reflecting his spiritual outlook of serving the country wholeheartedly.
This name system reflects the etiquette culture and social norms of ancient China, and embodies the principles of respect and inferiority, order, and distinction between inside and outside, which are emphasized in Confucianism. With the changes of the times, the "name" in modern Chinese no longer distinguishes between names and characters, but is merged into the official title of a person. However, in the study of ancient books and history, names and characters are still important clues to understand the identity, status, character and background of the ancients.