Born Chiang Jui-yuan, he took
中正 (zhōngzhèng, 'central and upright' from the I Ching) as his formal name, and
介石 (Jièshí, 'firm as a rock') as his
字 zì 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.
