The word 姓名 is formed by combining two independent, meaningful characters that each represent a core component of personal identity: 姓 (xìng), meaning "family name" or "surname", and 名 (míng), meaning "given name" or "personal name". By joining them, the compound creates a single, unified concept that encompasses the entirety of a person's full name. This formation follows a fundamental pattern in Chinese where two related ideas are placed side-by-side to produce a new, more comprehensive term, with the meaning derived directly from the logical sum of its parts.