This may be illustrated by the many variants for the same Chinese characters often found in surnames such as Low, Loh, Lo; Tay, Teh; Teo, Teoh; Yong, Yeong.
Since the founding of modern Singapore in 1819 and with large numbers of migrants predominantly from Southern China, Chinese placenames began to enter local vocabulary in place of traditionally Malay-based names mostly given by the Orang Laut communities.
Some changes met with popular opposition, particularly over the English spelling of Yishun (traditional Chinese: 義順; simplified Chinese: 义顺; pinyin: Yìshùn), which has been well known as Nee Soon in Hokkien (Min Nan) until the government tried to introduce pinyin when Yishun New Town appeared.
Another controversy surrounded the renaming of Tekka Market (derived from Hokkien Tek Kia Kha (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tek-á-kha), literally meaning "foot of the small bamboos"[1]), then one of the largest wet markets in Singapore located at the junction of Serangoon and Bukit Timah Road.
A large majority of Chinese people in Singapore are Hokkien (Min Nan speakers), and a lesser number Teochew.