When we were young most of us got names that were mostly found in the Old Testament such as Moses, Daniel, etc. Some other names such as mine, and Ainea (pronounced as EY-NIYAH) were also not common in the Bible and we have a similar one Aeneas. I might guess the reason for this naming was mainly because Christianity was a major factor. We were all happy to acquire Christian names on every occasion – from baptism, first communion, and the Sacrament of confirmation. I have said here before that one had an official name, which gave you character and was used by teachers, parents, and official communications. One also had a nickname that was usually used by friends. We never had funny names like mummy, daddy, Baba, etc.
Most of us were named according to traditions. We used to hear one name meant born at night, evening, etc. The traditional meaning was not much of a concern as we were born in the city and we were more inclined to Christian names. Most of us were named after our parents, grandparents, or famous relatives. In Things Fall Apart, the author Chinua Achebe says, “A child receives his or her name 7 native weeks, numbering 4 days each and altogether totaling 28 days, after birth. During this time a child is merely referred to as omo ofu (meaning new child). A child is given two names, one from the mother’s side and one from the father’s side, but only one becomes used in their lifetime. This decision was never taken lightly as it was considered a great honour for the family whose name is officially chosen. While in less esteemed families the decision tends to be easy, in ones where the clan or family is highly respected, things can become rather nasty. When this happens, an oracle doctor is asked to step in and choose a name based on the spiritual connections.”
I think this is the best description one can say about African naming and the process involved. I am not sure if we still take naming seriously like in the olden days, maybe because we have become more liberal. I support this as we need to have more of our children named according to African customs and the names should be recognized as official ones. Look at how authentic West African names read and how proud they are to use them.
My wish is that the whole of Africa would have followed the directive of Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga and changed the names of their citizens to more authentic African names that had meanings. I researched why I was named Bolingo and the reason is the most popular song then was by Los Nickelos band, Bolingo ya Telephone, meaning love over the telephone. When I was young I never appreciated the name but came to embrace it when I became older. I hope all the new parents will name their children with authentic names in the future and we go back to factory settings and back to traditional.
