27/04/2024
Robert Burale started a conversation on his timeline about NAMES, actually SURNAMES. He said, 'I know this is a very dicy topic but I believe there is a problem when men take their mother's name as their surname..MY HUMBLE OPINION (I COULD BE WRONG).'
I have been keenly following the responses and seeing how people are ranting while others are supporting the topic- that children should be given their father's names as surnames. You see, I grew up in the village. I spent 12 years of my life fully in the village where I attended primary school.
In the village, it is (rather was) one thing giving birth to a child and another thing naming the child. In my formative years, I experienced naming ceremonies and events where family members would gather to give a name to a child. That has actually faded away because right now, as you walk around the village, you will not miss a Jayden, Liam, Kimberly, two Clifford's and many other English names like Wayne. It's not like kitambo when common names like Caro, Ruth, Jane and the many others in your head now😁😁 were being passed on from generation to generation.
Let's go back to naming. Surnames were strictly the father's second name. Children were named after family members, favourite aunties and uncles and any other preferred person. There were cases where a baby would literally 'refuse' a name. Funny, right🤣🤣. A child who has refused a name would cry endlessly from the time of naming. You would then hear the mother being told 'omwana usuye elira ilio🤣🤣🤣). As soon as the name would be changed, the baby would then go quiet and sleeeeep. That was what marked naming in my village.
A year ago, the milk vendor where I lived asked me to pay via Mpesa and his second name was a 'Wanjiru'. I had forgotten that I had previously met several other Wambui's and Wangari's who were males in campus and they had genuine reasons as explained to them by their mothers why they were given female surnames. So, I quickly asked my milk vendor, 'mbona unaitwa Wanjiru' and the look he gave me took me back to the promise I had made never to ask people why they're called how they're called. I brushed it off, just that way.
Many comments I've seen on Burale's post are suggesting that the males with female surnames are mostly children of 'absent fathers' and their mothers wouldn't want to attach their children to deadbeats. The way some are explaining, you can quickly notice that they're bitter about the children's fathers wanting anything to do with the babies.
Is there any name significance according to the culture of naming? I wouldn't mind giving my baby three English names but what's the impact? Let's Talk about it now!
Also, you can grab a copy of 'Names and Secrets' by Dr Mark M. Chetambe. Thank you.
