Why ‘Joey’

Why ‘Joey’?

My Chinese name is Jiale (家乐), which means “family happiness.” My full name, 朱家乐, translates to “The Zhu family being happy.” However, the pronunciation of 家乐 isn’t intuitive in English. While it’s correctly pronounced as Jia-leh, I often hear variations like the French “Je” (as in Je m’appelle) and “le” (as in “less”). Over time, I realised that correcting people repeatedly wasn’t necessary—I’m always happy to help with the correct pronunciation and enjoy discussing the meaning behind my name, but why make life harder for others?

One of my favourite TV shows (or perhaps the favourite) is Friends. I’ve watched all 10 seasons over 24 times. In fact, I’ve reached the point where I no longer need to watch with my eyes—I can listen to it and instantly picture every scene in my head. Among the cast, while I deeply admire Monica, Chandler, Ross, Rachel, and Phoebe, my favourite character has always been Joey. His optimistic attitude, carefree spirit, and genuine love for his friends resonate with me. I admire how he faces life with a smile, even when things don’t go his way, and his light-hearted charm inspires me to embrace the same positivity.

So, I chose Joey as my western name. Not only does it reflect the qualities I aspire to, but it also makes my name easier to pronounce for others. And as a bonus, my initials remain J. Zhu—just like my original name. In a way, it’s a perfect blend of my roots and a personal connection to a character I love. Now, people can call me with confidence, and I carry a little bit of Friends with me every day!