In the past, the reason for changing names was usually simply that the name was coarse or inelegant, such as Tsai-tou (" vegetable head ") or Shuei-niu (" buffalo"), or names implying that a girl child was unwanted.
「菜市仔名」俗又有力早年民眾改名字，原因不外乎名字粗俗不雅，叫起來不好聽，像「罔市」、「罔腰」、「招弟」、「地爐」、「菜頭」、「查某」、「水牛」......，這些不雅的名字都可申請改名。