What's in a[n English] name?

Frequently Chinese people when they are learning English adopt an English name. Sometimes it isn't really that different than their own name. A lot of women named Li Li end up going by Lily. I know a Mei Li that changed hers to Mary and another Mei Li that goes by Billie. A Ping was a very popular name for girls about twenty years ago. That name means "Apple," so it isn't unusual to meet a young woman who chooses to go by "Apple."
A lot of times they chose regular English names, like William, or Meryl, or Susan. However, sometimes the names are a little bit more interesting. Randy works with a Lemon, a Cherry, a Jumper and a Zero. Local blogger Maddy has met a woman who goes by Metallica. When I asked her if Metallica worked in a night club or something, she told me she met Metallica at a trade show. Our friend David knows a woman named Agony. And recely Randy has been corresponding with a supplier named Covalent Ho.

Of course, foreigners sometimes adopt Chinese names, or are given them. Many I have heard are in jest and unbloggable, at least on my blog.
Randy's employees named him Han Yun Di for his Chinese-language business cards. Han obviously comes from the family name Callihan. Yun Di is just a strong name.
Back in the fall, Myles asked for a Chinese name. This was shortly after Randy's friend Cameron and his wife had a son and named him Xiao Long,"little dragon." Myles wanted to be a dragon, too. He actually wanted to be "Scary Dragon" but one of the Chinese grad students at Pitt working the Dragon Boat Festival convinced him that Strong Dragon would be a better name, so Myles is "Wei Long."