So my sister put to birth yesterday and I couldn't take the thought of how and why a certain name is given to a child.

like how do you come up with names on the spot and also importantly the meaning attached to it.

Do you backup name options before the child arrives or is there something am missing.

Even before you were born, I knew you. I just feel every name is inspired by God so it comes naturally either through the parents or even grandparents.

Chuky7:
So my sister put to birth yesterday and I couldn't take the thought of how and why a certain name is given to a child.

like how do you come up with names on the spot and also importantly the meaning attached to it.

Do you backup name options before the child arrives or is there something am missing.

Africans usually name a child based on the circumstances within when the child was born.

Give birth to yours, u will see how names will be rushing at u

Do you backup name options before the child arrives or is there something am missing.

Some people do this, plan/list names they intend to give their unborn child(ren).
Even I have been guilty of this, BUT after a certain experience, I now find that this method can be a wee bit contrived (for lack of a better word).

Personally, I now find it fascinating when children are given names that encompass the circumstances surrounding their birth – could be an experience during the pregnancy, or even an experience right there in the labor ward.

Some parents also choose names that are futuristic in expression, in the sense that they believe something about the child that will/may become that child's reality much later on – this also works.

Whatever method people choose anyway, the basic idea is to always know the meaning, origins, and history behind a name (assuming you don't want to give one that is based on a person experience).

I have noticed that a lot of people simply pick names that sound posh/hip/modern without having a deeper understanding of their meanings.

Now, people bear their children names based on the following

circumstances sorrounding the birth of that child.

Events that happened in the parents life either for good or bad.
Events that happened generally. like the case of covid 19 where a woman in China named her twins covid something. Can't remember now. But it was covid related.

So, these and several other circumstances and situation are things that give rise to the name a child is given.

Like my native name was given me as a result of my mum having only girls. She now added us (twins) to the girls on ground. Hahahah... so my dad gave me, IS GOD THAT GIVES BABIES. lol..

Going Biblically : Jeremiah 1 Vs 5 made some tips on it

But logically,an African child is named with respect to the circumstance/happenings around his entrance into the world

crackhaus:

Some people do this, plan/list names they intend to give their unborn child(ren).
Even I have been guilty of this, BUT after a certain experience, I now find that this method can be a wee bit contrived (for lack of a better word).

Personally, I now find it fascinating when children are given names that encompass the circumstances surrounding their birth – could be an experience during the pregnancy, or even an experience right there in the labor ward.

Some parents also choose names that are futuristic in expression, in the sense that they believe something about the child that will/may become that child's reality much later on – this also works.

Whatever method people choose anyway, the basic idea is to always know the meaning, origins, and history behind a name (assuming you don't want to give one that is based on a person experience)
I have noticed that a lot of people simply pick names that sound posh/hip/modern without having a deeper understanding of their meanings.

Makes me wonder why people give their kids names that they can't trace the origins.

Ishilove:

Makes me wonder why people give their kids names that they can't trace the origins.

The naming system in virtually all cultures follow certain defined patterns. Almost all names fit into these patterns.


1) Circumstance of birth.

2) Virtue.

3) Virtue tied to an animal.

4) Virtue tied to another person.

5) A place name

6) A god/godess or virtue tied to a god/godess

7) A child's appearance at birth.

That's why there are some names that are translatable (e.g. Ibukun = Ngozi). Parents know the origins of names, but the person bearing the name might not know the origin if his/her parents have not told him/her.

The word Dan in Hausa means son.

Dantata = son of Tata.
Dangote = son of Gote

(The name of the nanny that took care of Alhassan Dantata was Tata and so people started calling him "son of Tata" = Dantata).


The word "Ap" means son in Welsh. Therefore:

Madog ap Rhys = Madog son of Rhys.


The suffix "son" is used in Icelandic. Therefore:

Gunnarsson = son of Gunnar

People also use animals to depict virtue.

Ekun means leopard in Yoruba.

Therefore, Kekere-Ekun = small leopard (this is to show that people bearing that name are as strong as leopards despite the fact that they are small).

Zaki means lion in Hausa. That is to show that people who bear the name Zaki are as strong as lions.

Prayer/wish/virtue

Ibukun/Ngozi to show that the person will be a blessing to the family.

Sometimes people use the name of the place that the child was born. That's why there are people named Lagos, Jos, Jimeta, London, etc.

You need a child , then you get a name..then you name the child!

Appearance.

Some times a child might be named based on his/her appearance at birth or the way that the parents feel about the child or want the child to look in future.


Ifeoma means beautiful in Igbo.

Kenneth means handsome in Gaelic.


A child could be given the name blue because of her blue eyes or because the parents were feeling sad at the time of her birth.

A child could also be given the name ginger because of their ginger coloured hair.

naptu2:
The word Dan in Hausa means son.

Dantata = son of Tata.
Dangote = son of Gote

(The name of the nanny that took care of Alhassan Dantata was Tata and so people started calling him "son of Tata" = Dantata).


The word "Ap" means son in Welsh. Therefore:

Madog ap Rhys = Madog son of Rhys.


The suffix "son" is used in Icelandic. Therefore:

Gunnarsson = son of Gunnar

Informative. Thanks dear

Ishilove:

Makes me wonder why people give their kids names that they can't trace the origins.

Probably because the names just sound really good.

naptu2:
People also use animals to depict virtue.

Ekun means leopard in Yoruba.

Therefore, Kekere-Ekun = small leopard (this is to show that people bearing that name are as strong as leopards despite the fact that they are small).

Zaki means lion in Hausa. That is to show that people who bear the name Zaki are as strong as lions.

so what does Ekundayo mean in Yoruba?

joseph1832:
so what does Ekundayo mean in Yoruba?

Difficulty/sadness has turned to joy.

crackhaus:

Some people do this, plan/list names they intend to give their unborn child(ren).
Even I have been guilty of this, BUT after a certain experience, I now find that this method can be a wee bit contrived (for lack of a better word).

Personally, I now find it fascinating when children are given names that encompass the circumstances surrounding their birth – could be an experience during the pregnancy, or even an experience right there in the labor ward.

Some parents also choose names that are futuristic in expression, in the sense that they believe something about the child that will/may become that child's reality much later on – this also works.

Whatever method people choose anyway, the basic idea is to always know the meaning, origins, and history behind a name (assuming you don't want to give one that is based on a person experience)
[b]I have noticed that a lot of people simply pick names that sound posh/hip/modern[/b]without having a deeper understanding of their meanings.

I believe there's absolutely nothing cool about naming a child Artanacious or Donatus.

naptu2:


Difficulty/sadness has turned to joy.

easy thinking may be it's leopard as turned to dayo or something like that. Lol.

joseph1832:
easy thinking may be it's leopard as turned to dayo or something like that. Lol.

Well, the leopard can also be seen as a difficult and tough animal.

naptu2:


Well, the leopard can also be seen as a difficult and tough animal.

yeah that's true. Thanks

joseph1832:
I believe there's absolutely nothing cool about naming a child Artanacious or Donatus.

Some people might think it is, I can't say I know what they were thinking.

joseph1832:
I believe there's absolutely nothing cool about naming a child Artanacious or Donatus.

crackhaus:

Some people might think it is, I can't say I know what they were thinking.

I don't think it's about being cool. I think that's also about virtue.

The same way that some people name their kids after lions or leopards, to depict that they are as strong as those animals, so also do people name their children after other humans, especially people that are dead, with the hope that the child will imbibe the virtue of the person that they are named after.

So people name their children Solomon, with the hope that the child will be as wise as King Solomon, etc.


Athanasius was a bishop of Alexandria in Egypt and some people thought that he was wise. That might be the reason that they name their children after him.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athanasius_of_Alexandria

naptu2:

I don't think it's about being cool. I think that's also about virtue.

The same way that some people name their kids after lions or leopards, to depict that they are as strong as those animals, so also do people name their children after other humans, especially people that are dead, with the hope that the child will imbibe the virtue of the person that they are named after.

So people name their children Solomon, with the hope that the child will be as wise as King Solomon, etc.


Athanasius was a bishop of Alexandria in Egypt and some people thought that he was wise. That might be the reason that they name their children after him.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athanasius_of_Alexandria

I believe joseph1823 was just being funny... Although true to the fact, those names Athanasius & Donatus really don't sound cool, so you're right about the virtue angle.

However, there are definitely some names you hear, and you just know that coolness was a very good reason it was chosen.
Not at all minimizing and/or despite their virtuous meanings.

naptu2:






I don't think it's about being cool. I think that's also about virtue.

The same way that some people name their kids after lions or leopards, to depict that they are as strong as those animals, so also do people name their children after other humans, especially people that are dead, with the hope that the child will imbibe the virtue of the person that they are named after.

So people name their children Solomon, with the hope that the child will be as wise as King Solomon, etc.


Athanasius was a bishop of Alexandria in Egypt and some people thought that he was wise. That might be the reason that they name their children after him.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athanasius_of_Alexandria

My love, imagine burdening an innocent child with a name like 'Athanasius'

Growing up, I had a neighbor named Longinus. His name was the butt of jokes.

crackhaus:

I believe joseph1823 was just being funny... Although true to the fact, those names Athanasius & Donatus really don't sound cool, so you're right about the virtue angle.

However, there are definitely some names you hear, and you just know that coolness was a very good reason it was chosen.
Not at all minimizing and/or despite their virtuous meanings.

Oya mention a few.

naptu2:


Difficulty/sadness has turned to joy.

I get you. It is just like oko and obo have a multitude of meanings in Yoruba language

joseph1832:
easy thinking may be it's leopard as turned to dayo or something like that. Lol.

Lmao

joseph1832:
easy thinking may be it's leopard as turned to dayo or something like that. Lol.

Ekun means tears in Yoruba.

Tears and leopard may have the same spelling, but different pronunciation.

Ishilove:

I get you. It is just like oko and obo have a multitude of meanings in Yoruba language

Of all the examples you could've used...