WHAT IS IN A NAME? AN IGBO-AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The present paper undertakes an examination of the Igbo-African understanding of name. The aim is to highlight and strengthen the theoretical basis upon which the Igbo names in particular and African names are given. The approach is analytical. It is discovered that in the Igbo culture, names are not given arbitrarily. Rather a number of factors or certain cultural imperatives determine the name that a child is given such as: a family’s or communal historical experiences or existential conditions, religious beliefs, circumstances of birth etc. These and several more others tend to shape or condition the names which individuals receive. Igbo names are not just tags for identification. They embody much symbols and meanings. This is against the arbitrary giving of names or outright choice of foreign names that have no significance for the African. On this note therefore the paper not only sounds a caveat on the growing trend of arbitrary naming and aversion towards Igbo-African names but also makes a clarion call for a rethink and for people to cherish once more their indigenous names.