Save The Children From These Names!   

Nigerians take the naming of a child very seriously because, like the biblical Jews, we believe that the name a child is given can mould his or her destiny, so we give names that portend blessings, encouragement, good luck, mercy and so on. A child is also named to depict the circumstances surrounding his/her birth. Traditionally, without official records, this was the most efficient way of remembering and preserving history. These names were always in local languages which helped preserve the culture and context of the names.

In recent times, however, the naming of children has taken a new and, I have to add, ridiculous dimension. In an attempt to replicate the traditional as well as Judeo-Christian practice of influencing a child’s destiny through its name, children are being given names today which a decade ago would have been reserved only for family pets. I have come across ‘Ability’, ‘Power,’ ‘Favour’ but I was prompted to write this article when I recently met a child named ‘Peculiar’. That was the climax for me. I had to finally air my opinion on this matter. Apart from the fact that it took almost five minutes to finally get me to comprehend the name, the poor child herself could not pronounce the name as she kept saying ‘Pecuya’ and it took the mother’s intervention for all of us who were trying to decipher this child’s name to finally get it. I was stupefied when the mother actually said this child was called ‘Peculiar’. Call me old fashioned but I cannot for the life of me understand what a name like ‘Peculiar’ is meant to do for a child apart from making her the object of other children’s jokes. Yes, I understand that the parents want to show that the child stands out, that she is something special, but is ‘Peculiar’ the best way to demonstrate that? I have to agree that of all the children I met that day, she is the only one I still remember her name because of, dare I say, its unique peculiarity! Nonetheless, I would rather not be remembered than be remembered with such, yes, such a silly name!

I have to agree that on further reflection, what made the name appear even more ridiculous than perhaps it actually is, and this I think is the major difference between the traditional and modern naming of children, is that our traditional Nigerian names have meaning, which, if translated to English, would indeed be considered rather odd. My name for instance, Chinedum––bet most of you didn’t know that was what my ChiChi’ stood for––means ‘God guides me’. The name is a beautiful prayer; one that I use often when I pray, reminding God that my parents’ covenant with Him at my birth was that He guide me; and He has done a pretty good job of it to date. In Igbo it makes perfect sense, but imagine if I decided to anglicise the name by going around introducing myself as ‘God guides me’. Out of respect, of course, no one will say anything to my face, but behind my back, I am sure that plenty will believe I have lost my marbles.

What’s wrong with keeping the names in the traditional language? What is this colonial mentality that seems to be getting worse as we put more years between us and our colonial experience? It looks like in Nigeria we get more colonised as we develop. So Peculiar’s parents two decades ago would most probably have called her ‘Opuruiche’, which is the Igbo version for something different; Peculiar. However, today she is burdened with Peculiar, because… well, I really don’t know.

Recently, MSNBC newscaster Rachel Maddow was commenting on Nigeria and the whereabouts of President Yar Adua. She could not resist making a joke about Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan’s name. When she called his name, she had to pause to tell her audience, “…that’s his name. His first name is Goodluck and his last name is Jonathan.” Of course her largely Western audience would require such a clarification. Almost bursting into laughter and with a smirk on her face she said, “…he would be ‘President Goodluck Jonathan’.” The butt of the joke? From her expression it was like she was asking: Are these guys serious? Are they actually going to have a president called Goodluck? You can watch the clip yourself on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAgpnjM-H60. Imagine if the VP’s wife were called “Peculiar” and he, Goodluck Jonathan, actually became President, then at international state functions we would have to contend with the announcement following their entrance to be: The Nigerian President and his wife, Goodluck and Peculiar Jonathan!

We probably don’t get it because we are used to names like those and with the likes of ‘Peculiar’, the name ‘Goodluck’ seems much more normal. However, the truth is that if ‘Goodluck’ was left in the traditional language, the meaning would not have changed and he would still have all the good luck he has today, but the difference would be that the silly White woman would not be in a position to make fun of a could be President of Africa’s largest economy. People, please, when next we want to name a child, let’s give names that, yes, convey meaning, but in the process would not ridicule. If the meaning you would want to convey through your child’s name does not exist in your language, before you decide on the English equivalent, please peruse the over 250 languages in Nigeria; I am sure one of them would have a beautiful name that conveys your meaning and believe you me, God understands local languages so your prayer for your child would still reach Heaven.

—Chichi Aniagolu-Okoye

Tags:  Chichi Aniagolu-Okoye