//potential 2ha spoiler;
thread on mo ran and chu wanning’s names and the deeper meanings behind them:

MO RAN:
surname: mo (墨) - ‘ink’, or ‘black’
given name: ran (燃) - ‘to burn, to ignite, to light’
courtesy name: weiyu (微雨) - ‘light rain’

mo ran’s surname follows that of the madam of the brothel he was taken in by. his mother named him after the fire that kept them warm in the woodshed they took shelter in after they left the infirmary, signifying warmth and brightness.

mo ran’s courtesy name was given by xzy after he came to sisheng peak, which has the opposite meaning of his given name. balance and harmony in one’s name is important in chinese culture, and the water element in his courtesy name balances out the fire element in his given name.

in ch277 after mo ran passes out, there’s a sentence that goes, “mo ran, mo ran, mo is darkness, ran is light. he has been in pursuit of the light his whole life, but was ultimately unable to escape the deep darkness of night.”

this sums up mo ran’s destiny written in his name, showing his constant struggle between darkness and light, where his given name is a hope and wish for him to live his life in the light, but his surname is like an inherent curse upon him, enshrouding him in darkness.

CHU WANNING:
surname: chu (楚) - ‘clear’, ‘neat’, or ‘pain’, ’suffering’
given name: wan (晚) - ‘evening’, ‘night’, or ‘late’
 ning (宁) - ‘peace’, ‘tranquility’
courtesy name: none, bc he left huaizui before the age that a courtesy name would be given :(

chu wanning’s surname follows chu xun’s, and his name wanning was given by huaizui. when huaizui finished making him out of the wood, it was almost nightfall, and the temple grounds were peaceful and tranquil, and hence huaizui named him after the surroundings.

in ch279, cwn’s name is also used by meatbun to signify what his presence means to mr. in mo ran’s last moments with cwn, the narration goes: “there was only the dim afterglow of the fire in the hut, and it was very quiet, and very gentle. a peace and gentleness that came late.”

in those final moments after all the pain and torture he went through, mo ran finally found late (晚) peace (宁) in cwn’s presence, love and acceptance.

i also really like how mo ran and chu wanning's names balance each other out :') mo ran is the fire in chu wanning's night hehe