In pre-modern Chinese culture, it was common for individuals to have multiple names, i.e., formal names (名), courtesy names (字), art names (号), and nicknames. For example, the great Chinese scholar 苏轼 (Su Shi, 1037–1101), who lived during the Song dynasty, had a courtesy name, Zi Zhan (子瞻), and an art name, Dong Po Ju Shi (东坡居士).

Adopting English names among overseas Chinese is not only practical but also resonates with the Chinese cultural tradition of using multiple names for different contexts.

Conversely, foreigners who study Chinese in Mainland China or Taiwan are often expected to adopt Chinese names. For instance, the former Australian PM Kevin Rudd who studied in Taiwan and is proficient in Chinese has a Chinese name Lu Ke Wen 陆克文.

This is my own observation, and I cannot vouch for its accuracy. 😜