April 26, 2017

What's In a Name?

I'm the kind of person that always wonders about people's names and the reasons behind those names. I'm also the person who notices names of companies or brands and tries to figure out why their brand names were chosen. For instance, driving around Nigeria, I would notice a store called Mex Solutions and deduce (correctly or not) that the owner of the business was named Emeka, and he provides solutions of some sort. Or I look at people's email addresses and wonder how they chose them. I have a former friend who gave herself a nickname along the lines of Psycho or Crazy. I eventually had to cut her off because she was in fact a little on the psycho side, and our friendship was more toxic towards to me.

Before Cakes and I met, he already knew how many children he wanted and had a name for his first child. When he told me the name, I was just like "NOPE. NOT HAPPENING TO MY CHILD. AIN'T NO WAY!" And let me tell you, I stood my ground, so much so that he even started wavering at a point and we decided to come up with different names for our future children. Fast forward to a few weeks before I even found out I was pregnant, and God spoke to me - long story short, He told me the name Cakes originally wanted came from HIM! I'll share the details eventually, but when I say God works in mysterious ways, I don't mean just because our friends hooked up and got married through us. God really works in the background and the revelation is all the more powerful!

When my siblings and I chatted with my grandfather, he told us how he came up with each of our names - according to the circumstances and situation at the time, he named all his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I really can't wait to hear his chosen name for #BabyCocoa

Have you guys asked your parents why they named you whatever your name is? And if you have children, what inspired the names you gave them?

P.S. I have 4 names on my birth certificate, plus one extra that my mum nicknamed me as a baby. If I'm in a place with my immediate family, grandparents, and friends, it's possible to hear 4 different names for just me! Well, my inlaws gave me a name, so if they're there, it could be 5 different names. And that doesn't include my Itsekiri name, Misan, which I LOVE!!!!!

11 comments:

  1. So Awesome!
    Can't wait to hear the whole story!

    Both of my grandmothers are named Ann
    My name Annette is little Ann in French

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    1. Ahhh, I always just thought Annette was a variation of Ann. I like it.

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  2. Ah! Names and their meanings. The meaning of my name is "it is not man that decides"

    When my mum was pregnant, one of these prophets or so told her she would have a boy and i guess my father was excited. Not sure how popular scans were then and i wonder why they didn't do a scan to confirm. I guess God decided to prove to prophet wrong and so this baby girl showed on the D-day 😂😂😂😂😂

    My father then decided to coin a name saying it is not man that decides 😁😁😁😁

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  3. Well for starts we are Africans and there is alot to a name.
    Heheheh and dont u go looking at my email addy :) coined outa childishness (i wasnt thinking deeply when i choose it) .
    Yeah i did ask my parents the meaning of my Ijaw name Ebidesabor (Everyone likes a good thing) Apparently Ebi means good in the dialect...for the rest prefix.... hmmm...enuf said

    There is a lot to a name and my husband and I considered carefully what we were going to name of first fruit. It was easy. When it came to the second baby, we were exhausted from the decision. We just called his Dad to find name and bring it on the day of delivery...guess what i had the baby via a CS and my father in-law named my handsomeness ChukwuNonso (God is near me) as if he had any idea all the bruhaha surrounding the birth (Tale for another day). Hubby and I were so glad and loved the name till date! Cos Truly if not that GOD was near ....hmmm....

    Jennifer Igweike (sexy right?)

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    1. Hehe, you're lucky I can't see your email address - I would have been snooping and investigating!

      Ebi.... I dated an Ebi once... for like 2 weeks... when I was 14 *hides face*

      Awwwwww. My sister's name is Chinonso - that means the same as your son's right?

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    2. Hahahaha .... funny geh!
      Yes ChiNonso, ChukwuNonso same meaning :)...

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  4. My name is osayuwamen meaning "God endowed me with wealth"
    My grand Ma named me uhunoma "which means someone with good luck" l didn't bother to ask the circumstances surrounding the name. But l do love them. I already have a name for my first Son and daughter.



    FAVOURMOYSE BLOG

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    1. I've never heard Uhunoma before... it's so pretty!

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  5. awwww love this post!!

    I'm also a sucker for names and their meanings. Ever since I found out as a teenager that God changed Jacob's name to Isreal and Abram to Abraham, I sha knew that names are not to be taken lightly in the grand scheme of things. So I was careful with what people call me, and what I call others (that's why you almost won't hear me insult anyone, except the person is really off-rail)

    I asked the meanings of my names Obianuju- She came in the midst of abundance. I was told that things were really good for my parents when I was born and there was an abundance of cousins eager to carry my chubby self..hehehe. Uchenna- The mind of her father (I think my mum gave me that), Adaobi (well because I'm first daughter) Ursula - Little bear because I hear I was a chubby child and pretty defensive when it came to my little brother. My surname though, no one knows the meaning that's why I cant wait to marry and adopt my hubby's. hehehe. I did however adopt my dad's first name- Sebastine . Love the meaning (awe and reverence).

    See how much I love the post? wrote an epistle!! hehehe

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