There’s this common phrase “God-given name.” But names aren’t given by God; it’s our parents who decide what to name us. And many people wish they could name themselves since they really hate the names their parents give them. In fact, 76% of Brits say they don’t like their names and wish to be called something else.
Some names can be straight-up funny, and I’m not talking about Amanda Kissinghug, Mike Rotch, or I.P. Freely. Recently, creator Victor Alfred, aka @victoralfred11, made a comedy skit about the unusual names that African parents give their children. Other people have noticed this phenomenon as well, sharing some unique names they’ve come across, like Commission, Thankgod, and Blessing.
Some parents love to give their children unique names, but African parents might have everyone else beat
Image credits: Curated Lifestyle (not the actual photo)
One comedian recently made a skit about how African parents seem to be naming their children anything and everything
Image source: @victoralfred11
His video racked up over a million views
Some African parents really do try to manifest better lives for their children by giving them certain names
For us, Westerners, African naming practices might seem odd. That one commenter wasn’t far off when she said, “Naming things they’re manifesting.” In some African cultures, parents really believe that names have power, and that the kind of name you give your child will heavily influence their life’s path.
One of the most prominent examples may be former Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan. Although he didn’t have much luck in his political career (he was the first president not to be re-elected), his parents certainly tried to manifest it.
Jonathan’s late father is quoted in one of his biographies as saying, “I called him Goodluck because although life was hard for me when he was born, I had this feeling that this boy would bring me good luck.”
Many Nigerians also tend to name their children according to this criteria:
As Nigerian novelist and humorist Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani writes for The BBC, apart from their surname, many Nigerians have as many as five or six additional names. In the traditions of the West African ethnic group Yoruba, each parent and grandparent contribute one name.
For example, a child from their ethnic group might be named Taiwo Peter Tokunbo Olamide. ‘Taiwo’ means that he’s the first of the two twins. ‘Peter’ is his Christian name, while ‘Tokunbo’ refers to the fact that he was born abroad. And ‘Olamide’ means “my wealth/success has arrived.”
Generally, there are eight main factors that influence traditional African names
Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)
There are many different ethnic groups in Africa, and naming practices may differ from one to another. Yet, there are some common elements that determine what name parents give their baby across the different cultures. Ghanian correspondent for the BBC, Adelaide Arthur, names these eight naming practices as the most common:
People shared many ridiculous names they’ve come across in real life
Follow Us
