Where do westerners get their "Buddhist" names? Many western Buddhists have non-western names:


Jeffrey Block -  Bhikkhu Bodhi
Geoffrey DeGraff -  Thanissaro Bhikkhu or Ajaan Geoff
Deirdre Blomfield-Brown - Pema Chödrön


Are they given to them when they are ordained as monks/bhikkuni (like Dances with Wolves), or are they more informal (e.g. Ajaan Geoff)?

Just curious.
Where do westerners get their “Buddhist” names?


In the Theravada tradition a novice receives a new name in Pali when a senior monk accepts his/her request to become Preceptor.

For more information see "Ordination Procedure in the Theravada Tradition".