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A lot of the time in america in addition to your "real" or birth name (the one registered on your birth certificate) you have a nickname, which is something that other people call you. Sometimes this is based on your name ... like Billy is a nickname for William. A lot of times for men a nickname that ends in "y" is used when you are a child, but then around the teenage years it gets shortened again to what is considered an adult form of the name ... so many children who were called "Billy" in later life are called "Bill".
One of my friends is named Richard. His son has the same name. To be able to tell which one is which the dad is called Rich and the son is called Ricky. Ricky is now in school in the 2nd grade, and he has informed eveyone that he is now to be called "Rick."
Jimmy is a nickname for James, and the other form of that is Jim.
Your friend's name Zhi Min also kind of sounds like "Simon" if he would prefer an Americanized name closer to his own. "Steven" also has a similar sound. Since he gets the chance to pick, he should pick something that he likes and that fits him.
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