What is a name? What identity does it carry? -By Kareen Shamsudeen

I asked a female friend to tell me why her parents named her Olasumbo. Olasumbo loosely means “the wealth will come”. She told me her parents were in a financial crisis when she was born. To keep their optimism alive, they named her with the hope that wealth would come. When her younger brother was born, he was named Olamilekan which can be loosely translated as “my wealth is in two folds.” I guessed when he was born, the financial story of her parents was changing. She confirmed my guess. When her younger sister was born, her parents named her Olamide, which loosely translates to “my wealth has arrived.” This suggests that financial stagnancy in their family was a thing of the past. The last born of her family was named Olayinka, which can be translated as “wealth surrounds me.” 

While we ponder on the above example, we see that the names are predictions and attestations of what has happened. The parents in this context, named their children to reflect not only their socio-economic lives but also with the belief that great things will happen. Does this mean that the names express the maxim of “no condition is permanent”?

What is a name?

Merriam Webster defines it as “a word or phrase that refers to or that can refer to a specific person.” But this definition of a name goes beyond this meaning. Names in some cultures are just a means of identification because humans cannot bear nothing. This is especially true in western worlds like the United States and the United Kingdom, for example, where we see funny or (what we term non-cultural) names like Rice, Drinkwater, Mount, and the rest of it. In Africa, we don’t give names for aesthetic pleasures, except they are nicknames. We give names because we see them as an identity, and more often than not, as a prediction that influences the lives of the bearers positively. 

Names in African societies go far beyond a social identity. By social identity, I mean names that are cultures or tribes-specific. Names are given because it is a general belief that they make or mar the destiny of the child. In the old Yoruba culture, when a child is born, he is usually taken to a traditional doctor, who makes some important divination that tells what future awaits such a child. Thus, the eventual name that the child bears is a reflection of his or her purpose on earth. The Yorubas attach great importance to names.

In Yoruba culture, names are not taken with levity. They reflect historical and ancestral origins. For example, a male named Babatunde (Father has come again) was born after the death of his paternal grandfather. Similarly, a female named Iyabo (Mother has come again) was born after the death of her paternal grandmother. Although, there are implications for naming children these kinds of names, especially if there is a curse in that particular family. This is why preference to names nowadays is given to religious and English names. 

The Yorubas are very spiritual persons. They believe in the land of the living, dead, and the unborn. In fact, they shape their attitudes by what their ancestors want. This is why we have family taboos. Although, civilization and religion have almost decimated these beliefs. In a family where the grandfather for example has brought a curse to, knowingly or unknowingly, and it should end after his demise: naming a male child born after him Babatunde, possibly brings that curse back to the family because “the father has come back,” thus, the curse is re-ignited. But in the modern society that we are, such beliefs are deemed superstitious. But such names are mostly avoided.  So, when a Yoruba family names their child, Joy, for example, everyone knows what it means and where they can find the meaning.

Moving forward, names in the Yoruba culture give definiteness to the bearers. That is, individuals without names are abstract (this is not possible though), even when they have physical attributes. The Yorubas believe that cultural names bring definiteness to the bearers. The Yorubas cherish good names both in context and behaviours. This is why they say ‘Oruko rere san ju Wura ati Fadaka’ – meaning, ‘good name is more precious than gold and silver.’

Names in the Yoruba societies show the family one belongs to. Individuals that bear names with the “Ade” or “Oye” prefix are mostly of royal blood. Also, individuals that bear names with the “Ola” prefix are mostly from wealthy families. Individuals that bear names with the “Ogun” prefix are from the lineage that worships Ogun, the Yoruba god of iron. Individuals that bear names with the “Sango” prefix are from the lineage that worships Sango, the Yoruba god of thunder and lightning. Individuals that bear names with the “Ifa” prefix are from the lineage that worships Ifa, the Yoruba god of wisdom and intellectual development. The list is endless. 

Names in Yoruba culture can also be a story. For someone that bears Enitan, meaning, “a person with a history,” undoubtedly has a story or circumstance that revolves around his or her birth. Names could also be a wish. For someone that bears Ayonimofe—meaning, “All I want is joy,” identifies the kind of wish such a person’s parents want, which will reflect in the person’s lifestyle. This is because individuals cannot take names for themselves. Their parents do it for them. Names we take for ourselves are nicknames. Even nicknames in the old Yoruba societies are not as mundane and no-definite-purpose-carrying as we have nowadays. 

Giving your children cultural names only serves to promote and propagate such a culture. Thus, I see it as incongruous for a person of the Yoruba tribe not to have a single Yoruba name. When you ask such a person why they don’t have a cultural name, you will hear a response like “My parents did not give me one.” There are a lot of man-made factors that kill a culture other than the death of its language.

As we have seen, names have many good attributes: identities, prayers, wishes, blessings, expression of joys, and others. Most importantly, they promote the culture, particularly in the aspect of socio-cultural realities. So, before you give your child any name, think deeply, because a name conveys meaning other than the metaphorical and philosophical interpretations. In other words, name a good name, and bear a good name.

Kareem Shamusudeen is a writer from Ibadan Nigeria. He can be reached via kareemshamusudeen@gmail.com or on Twitter @KShamusudeen