Born Chiang Jui-yuan, he took
中正 ('central and upright', from the I Ching) as his formal name, and
介石 ('firm as a rock') as his
字 courtesy name. The latter, read in Cantonese as 'Kai-shek', became his global name. Taiwan-issued documents still prefer
蒋中正; mainland sources default to
蒋介石.
