I know 2 people personally in the UK who have changed their surnames legally because it has a traditional meaning.

A friend of mine with surname 'Fawemimo' - meaning 'Ifa' has washed me clean - got a lawyer and changed his surmane to Emmanuel, changed his children's surnames as well. Asked him why? His answer: there is a curse attached to the name because Ifa is the root in the name.

Someone else I know, a devout christian, changed his surname 'Sangojimi' to 'Israel' - same reason, he said he has wanted to do this for a long time, cause his name did not honour God because Sango is a false idol, and he believes the name will bring generational curse if he did not change it.

I think this is a slap on the face of your ancestors that have lived for genrations carrying your name with pride and purpose, but because of religious imperialism, some people choose to cut short the name, and will give their children surnames 'Israel' and 'Emmanuel' and his blood line will continue with these names.

@idi-amin,do not mind them,they have been brainwashed, and yet most of the names that these same european christians use,have pagan origins,yet they never changed it and they are doing well!!!

Diana=moon goddess dorothy=gift of zeus theophilus=lover of zeus bridget=irish pagan goddess venus=roman goddess of love(venus williams) demeter=goddess of corn(this is the full name of demi moore)

OMGS!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT SLAVES!!!!!!!!! I WANT TO SLAUGHTER THOSE PEOPLE! WHAT AN ABOMINATION!!!!!!!!

Niflheim: Diana=moon goddess dorothy=gift of zeus theophilus=lover of zeus bridget=irish pagan goddess venus=roman goddess of love(venus williams) demeter=goddess of corn(this is the full name of demi moore)

even Cedric - from Cerdic, an old Saxon tribal Kings name.

then comes Julius, Eric, Arthur, etc. .

Abigail=the joy of abu(for all christians who never knew,abu was a pagan god worshipped in mesopotamia,abraham's birth place)

@pagan 9ja,christians spend so much time reading their bible, that they end up as failures in elementary history!!!

Justina=Justitia(goddess of justice) fortune=fortuna(god of gambler$) rhianna=rhiannon(ancient sea goddess of wales) friday=freya's day(the scandinavian goddess worshipped on the 6th day of the week)

Athena=goddess of athens esther=ishtar(babylonian goddess) constantine=constantia(roman god) silvanus=(god of forest)

Niflheim: @pagan 9ja,christians spend so much time reading their bible, that they end up as failures in elementary history!!!

tell me about it. . *smh

@OP,
They are not ashamed of their ancestral names. They are just scared that these names might carry the spirits of the pagan deities with them, They are simply following their genuine conscience. @Niflheim has already pointed out that they are "brainwashed" and he's right.

I have two Igbo names, no English name. Won't change them for free entry to heaven.

On a serious note, it's just one of the few legacies of slavery. People feeling what's theirs is inferior to the imposed.

UMUDIBIA children of a native doctor

obòdoekwensu place 4 devil

musKeeto: I have two Igbo names, no English name. Won't change them for free entry to heaven.

On a serious note, it's just one of the few legacies of slavery. People feeling what's theirs is inferior to the imposed.

it has nothing to do with slavery. I'm sure you are referring to people who choose western names for themselves and their children because it was "cooler" than our native ones, but this is a different scenario and is for spiritual purposes rather than fashion. I know people(even in my family) who have changed their surnames because of fear that the pagan spirits might follow with the names.

okeyxyz:

it has nothing to do with slavery. I'm sure you are referring to people who choose western names for themselves and their children because it was "cooler" than our native ones, but this is a different scenario and is for spiritual purposes rather than fashion. I know people(even in my family) who have changed their surnames because of fear that the pagan spirits might follow with the names.

No matter how you spin this, it boils down to slavery.. They switched their local names for english names. Don't those english names have a word in their native language. If there was no english language, would they be nameless?

Different strokes.While peoople like us are thinking of changing our socalled baptismal names unfortunately given to us as children.

I find it very embarassing and humiliating telling oyinbo that my name is john,edward,micheal or anthony,as african.But i use it because it makes it easiar for them call and rite,since they are either too dum-b or too over bloated to write or mention african names.

They think african names,like the language are primitives,"unoyinbo" and apelike.

they listen to fake and lazy pastors that dont know what to preach and the foolish and gullible audience that believe anything they are told. hence their belief in generational curses

there are many people in africa today that have names that are derived from deities and they are vey successful. there are many people answering Ogunwalwe, ogunbona, Ogun........... etc who are doing well. Same with a lot of Ibo names. One of our former minister's name was Frank Ogbuewu. Ogbuewu means butcher of goats or goat killer.that did not stop him from becoming a federal minister in Nigeria.

Though, any person has the legal right to change his name if he so wishes. no wonder you hear a lot of Nigerians with two western names. e.g Susan Peters, Susan Jacobs, sam martins etc.

By d way VANESSA MEANS BUTTERFUL
BELINDA ~ SMALL SNAKE

redsun:

I find it very embarassing and humiliating telling oyinbo that my name is john,edward,micheal or anthony,as african.

+1

Niflheim: @idi-amin,do not mind them,they have been brainwashed, and yet most of the names that these same european christians use,have pagan origins,yet they never changed it and they are doing well!!!

Big lie. I know names ind Bible with pagan origin that were changed...abram to abraham, sarai to sarah and many others.

If my ancestors didn't know God and I know God Ω̴̩̩̩̥ow what stops me frm answering names that testify the God I worship?

If you must change your name due to it's perceived negative meaning, why not change it to another name in your dialect. Why must it be changed to a foreign(mostly english) name. As for me as i used to bear an English name but had to stop using it. I hate English names.

Na 'em sabi. As for me, i love my names forlife.

Why will I be ashamed? My surname is "OGUNMODEDE" meaning (God of iron (Ogun) brought hunter come). What's the essence of being unnecessarily sanctimonious when most people that are changing the name are still finding it difficult to act like christ?

Colo-mentality. I did the contrast. I dropped my 'english' name for my native one. As someone rightly said, why not change it to another name in your own language?

afam4eva: If you must change your name due to it's perceived negative meaning, why not change it to another name in your dialect. Why must it be changed to a foreign(mostly english) name. As for me as i used to bear an English name but had to stop using it. I hate English names.

Gbam 1000likes.
Even if dey hav to change their name, y nt sometin dat sound nice and hav good meanin in the Yoruba language. There are many yoruba names are good and are of blessin, example, oluwakemi, adekunle, funmilayo, olufemi and many more. I think its inferiority complex dat is disturbing dem. I for example bear both my islamic and yoruba name. Bt sincerely speakin, i cant bear all dos names dat hav link wit ifa or ogun.

Niflheim: Diana=moon goddess dorothy=gift of zeus theophilus=lover of zeus bridget=irish pagan goddess venus=roman goddess of love(venus williams) demeter=goddess of corn(this is the full name of demi moore)

wooooow, never knew some xtains names have dis pagan origin, hmmmmm. The roman empires have a great hand in dis, dey are d one dat incorporated many pagan belief in xtianity and disguise it as true xtain belief. Some ppl jus bear name anyhw witout knowin d meanin jus cos it sound cool e.g venus, diana.

How i wish , i have 1. Well still pround of myself and background. IDOWU

afam4eva: If you must change your name due to it's perceived negative meaning, why not change it to another name in your dialect. Why must it be changed to a foreign(mostly english) name. As for me as i used to bear an English name but had to stop using it. I hate English names.

i had to relegate my English name too
i may change my surname but
cetainly to another native name
never contemplated another English name
the one i got without my consent is one too many

Na wa for we africans o

[size=28pt]When being baptized as a catholic, I had to be baptized after a saint in heaven. I wasnt allowed to use my native name. I became baptised as "phillip".

I now know that according to christian logic, heaven is too good for my people from my village. All the saints names were mostly latin, italian, hebrew, spanish or english.


Slaves of foreign religions we have become[/size]

Logicboy03: [size=28pt]When being baptized as a catholic, I had to be baptized after a saint in heaven. I wasnt allowed to use my native name. I became baptised as "phillip".

I now know that according to christian logic, heaven is too good for my people from my village. All the saints names were mostly latin, italian, hebrew, spanish or english.


Slaves of foreign religions we have become[/size]

Phillip.. Lol.. A more fitting name would have been Saul...

musKeeto:
Phillip.. Lol.. A more fitting name would have been Saul...

I prefer Judas!

I am xtian but my surname starts with sango(yoruba-god of thunder). I can‘t count the number of people that have advised me to change it but as long as I live on this planet I won‘t change it. My surname usually sound somehow to ppl but I like it that way.