A name, we all know is a means of identity; to distinguish a person and identify an individual with a particular society. Nigeria as a cultural entity has diverse ethnic groups with their own cultural identity.

By their names, you can decipher the cultural background of a person. People with blue blood have cultural names like Adaobi, Adeyemi, religious people also have names for their offsprings e.g Yoruba traditional worshipers have certain names for their kids; Osunfunke, Ogunwale, Christians name their kids after some good Bible characters likewise the Muslims.

I learnt people don't just give names anyhow for instance, my parents told me they prayed before 'God revealed the Bible character I'd be named after.' Even the traditional names are not just given at random; it tells a story.

Some other kids get their names as a result of circumstances surrounding their birth but we wont go into that.

A. The trend nowadays is to give our kids cute western/English names like Cameron, Carl, Maya, Courtney, etc. It is not that these names are bad oh (also searching for cute names for my yet-unborn kids) but WHY?

1. WHY DO WE HAVE TO ADOPT WESTERN/ENGLISH names as if the Englishman can call his daughter Adaeze?

2. Are we not saying we are still subservient to these people even after gaining independence?

3. What will we leave for our next generation if we continue in this trend?

B. The second trend is the way the over spiritual Christians now name their kids. I have seen names like Praise the Lord, HolyGhost Fire, Kingdom Praise and so on.

C. The last but not the least is what I term a kind of CULTURE going EXTINCT. I had my NYSC in Bayelsa(B13), served in a secondary school. It's like they have a kind of low self esteem with their cultural names(no insults intended) perhaps, it's as a result of wanting to sound foreign. They have beautiful names like Nengiworio, TamaraPreye, Ebikonbere, Emomotimi, Ebikonbowei, Oweipade and so on but 98% of my students registered with English names like[b] Navy Thankgod[/b], Goodhead Wilson, Joshua Millionaire, Wisdom Spencer, Greatman Godswill, FreebornSteve, Freeman Princess, Shephard Happiness just to mention a few.

When I asked some of them especially Millionaire Joshua he said his father wants him to become a millionaire thatz the reason he was so named. I also know a student they call London, I was like WT..f!

I know this thread is helpful both in the culture and family sections but as a prospective husband and father, I want to know from people who have been there and people who know more. Maybe I've not grown out of my signature.