texazzpete:

This doesn't make any sense. Why is it ok to give children Hebrew names but suddenly becomes Haram to give children names with German, English or french origin? What makes them different because they are in the Bible?

I agree with you on this. They're all foreign names, whether Jewish or English. If you want to give your children christian names, we have so many of them. All the chukwu(Chi) and Oluwa names are christian names. So, that shouldn't be an excuse.

texazzpete:

1. Quick question: Are you also suspicious of Africans with no Facial tribal marks?
2. Are you also suspicious of Africans who wear 'foreign' clothes like Jeans?

Finally, if you believe these names you quoted have no 'personal' meaning, you're beyond hope.

1. Not all african tribes wear tribal marks.

2. How's jean foreign. Is it the material or what? Whats it made of?

ok, heres my take on this issue. I think the OP means to question the dumping of our native names for foreign names but mentioned 'english' names because its maybe the most common. In my opinion, HE IS RIGHT, ABSOLUTELY ON POINT. Now i dont think majority of us today bear these foreign names due to some inferiority complex and i'm certain that we do not bear them out of any deep reverence for our religion.
So why do we bear them?
The truth is that many are indifferent and others just came to be aware of them as they got older and developed a fondness for them, its silly to begrudge anyone that or to dictate to anyone what names he might bear. But as odumchi pointed out, inferiority complex in colonial times WAS the reason from the start and it DOES undermine our identity.
I realised i was a proud Okonkwo and not some Paul or Adam and decided i'd drop mi foreign name when i was maybe 13 and besides, our names are rich and beautiful!

afam4eva:

1. Not all african tribes wear tribal marks.

2. How's jean foreign. Is it the material or what? Whats it made of?

1. Many African tribes have facial marks. You're Igbo, the Igbos have tribal marks. Will you fail to scarify your kids with them?
2. Is Jeans your traditional wear? Will anyone beat you if you wear lace or brocade cloth everyday?

@Poster,

Nice question. I pondered about this before i had my first child and decided that my children will only have Igbo names, first, middle and surname.

Reasons:
My live outside Nigeria, and i want the children to have a cultural identity. - Names help in that sense

The days of trying to "blend" in with the host community by taking strange sounding names are gone. People feel (more) comfortable answering their native names

I the days were born, our parents were told that any name that was non english and not in the bible was more or less and sin and the child would not be baptised. lol. I'm a Christian, and as far as i'm concerned, igbo names have are Godly
E.g Chidubem --> God keeps/leads me.

I'm happy with the names my children have, let the Oyinbo ppl struggle to pronounce it.

are you english? then why will you need an english name? I laugh at the complete nonsense people are calling thier kids nowadays, jayjay, beyonce, shakira- looking like they got name ideas off cd album covers

oboii i weep for humanity, anyways why wont we when pikins are havin pikins. . .

Me thinks this is inferiority complex over a man's identity, chinese men bear chinese names and who gives a damn.? I am all for African names,

No one is saying you [b]need [/b]an English name. . . the question is, is it wrong to have one.
I've pointed out that there is nothing wrong with having a Christian name, same way there is nothing wrong with wearing jeans or going to a school that's taught in English.

some people here are begining to sound like Bokoaram leaders who said he was fighting against western civilization and has 3 mobile phones,2 laptops and an LCD Tv when he was raided.There aint nothing in blending in when it comes to name,anybody can give any damn name,it dont mean anyone is less african than someone else cos they got forign name mayB very soon DOgs would bear Igbo,yoruba and housa names mayB yah all will B happy.

you are a true son of the soil, poster, and I salute you for that. if any of my children change to english/arabic names, ill crucify them from the nearest pole i find or feed them to a camel. so then, atleast their effort will have been worthwile.

English names for what when we have African Names which we are sure of the meaning yet very few Africans know the meaning of the English names they carry. If there is any European with an African Name i will continue using the English Name.

What does the Yoruba name "Odumosu" means?? Please can anyone tell mee!?

I have all African names and love the fact that my parents gave me no foreign name. We love to adopt alien names yet other cultures or people don't even adopt ours because they are too content and proud of what they have already. Let's get on their level please.

eldee:

No one is saying you [b]need [/b]an English name. . . the question is, is it wrong to have one.
I've pointed out that there is nothing wrong with having a Christian name, same way there is nothing wrong with wearing jeans or going to a school that's taught in English.

theres nothing wrong with it but do we need it? Historically the excuse was that to be reborn one must be given a new name? a name the white christian missionaries can pronounce. Does Jesus have a christian name? Since we are now generally more educated and enlightened on these things do we really need to still name out children christian names?

queensmith:

theres nothing wrong with it but do we need it? Historically the excuse was that to be reborn one must be given a new name? a name the white christian missionaries can pronounce. Does Jesus have a christian name? Since we are now generally more educated and enlightened on these things do we really need to still name out children christian names?

The question is what you answered in the first line.
If we don't need it, then it all should be left to choice and no need for a topic on this either.

texazzpete:

1. Quick question: Are you also suspicious of Africans with no Facial tribal marks?
2. Are you also suspicious of Africans who wear 'foreign' clothes like Jeans?

Finally, if you believe these names you quoted have no 'personal' meaning, you're beyond hope.

Do you my friend understand the purpose of tribal markings. They were a way for individuals to be identified as part of a tribe or family when most of Africa was waring tribes.
Members of a community weren't obligated to wear markings, but individuals who represented the tribe and traders had one for identity.

udezue:

I have all African names and love the fact that my parents gave me no foreign name. We love to adopt alien names yet other cultures or people don't even adopt ours because they are too content and proud of what they have already. Let's get on their level please.

I think you mean you have Nigerian Names,so would you say someone English ie born in England and white answering the name Alex or Alexandra is bearing an Alian name?

yes always use the word Nigerian or even better, Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, etc names. Africa is not a country.

I can't stay without an eng name, eng name is for every body because it dose not specify

in Angola most people have Portuguese First and Last names

Osama10: Very true, my 2 names are native.

ok do u mean osama and binladen?

seedord247: No we don't . . . .

But some Igbo name are very bad to pronounce. . . . sometimes if you register some igbo name's on Internet that when you see the PC or the Internet connection having problem.

can somebody tell me the meaning of this igbo name's

Ogaraku okoronkwo okija

its because some yoruba names like tolu,femi,adebanjo,obasanjo etc probably means goat,cow, rabbit, fish ,dustbin,mortuary in some foreign languages. While obasanjo means spreader of ugliness in one nigerian language

afam4eva: The British left this country over 50 years ago yet Nigerians and Africans at large still continue to be slaves. It's more annoying when people refer to th Foreign names as the "first name" and the native names as the "middle name" or "other name". I changed my first name from James(Hebrew) to Afam(Igbo). James can tale the back sit. James ko Nehemiah ni.

Dude,you are not alone on this; Changed my baptismal name Joseph(Hebrew) to my grandfathers name Udemegbuna(core ancient Nri name). Changed all my credencials and now my first name,middle name and surname are all Igbo names and I will do same for my children.

All my children will bear uniquely cultural names. No foreign handles.

My two names "anti" and "virus" are all igbo names! Thank God!