IGBOZURUOKE FORUM

By Adaeze Opara,

Names are important in Igbo society and this is reflected in the names given to people and places. Names in Igbo communities can be used to trace the history, origin and even the belief of the people. Whenever someone is saying something, most often, a name must be mentioned. Among the names we have in Igbo society, personal names stand out prominently. Personal names are words for which persons are known. Personal names are attributed to human beings for identification and categorization of individuals. Name is a part of language and an aspect of peoples’ culture; it can also be attributed to other things, objects or items for easy identification.

PROPER/PERSONAL NAMES IN IGBO ARE:

Name of a place         (Aha obodo/ mba)      =  Owerri  (owere) Enugu (Enugwu) etc.

Market days in Igbo      (Ụbọchị ahịa)            = Eke, Orie, Afọ, Nkwọ.

Days of the week in Igbo    (izu)                = Sunday (sọnde) , Monday (mọnde), Tuesday (Tuzdee) Wednesday (Nwenezde), Thursday (Tọzdee), Friday (Fraiịdee), Saturday  (Satọdee).

NAMES OF MONTH

Here, the Igbo name months (Ọnwa) of the year numerically or through phonological reconditioning (ie Igbonization) for instance: January (Jenuwari/ Ọnwa mbụ), February ( Feblụwarị/Ọnwa abụọ), March (Mach[/Ọnwa atọ) April (eperelụ/Ọnwa anọ) May (mee/Ọnwa ise) June(Junu/ Ọnwa isii) July (Julaị/Ọnwa asaa) August (Ọgọstụ/ Ọnwa asatọ) September (Septemba/ Ọnwa itolu) October (Ọkụtoba/Ọnwa iri) November (Nọvemba/Ọnwa iri na otu) December (Dizemba/Ọnwa iri na abụọ).

NAMES OF DEITIES (Aha arụsị/agbara)= Ogwugwu, Ajaala, Ọmaliko, Durugwu, Kamalụ, Alaọgbaga etc.

NAMES OF RIVER   (Aha mmiri /iyi)

Just like other countries or tribes, Ndi Igbo call their rivers after the names of their places, country, states or villages, for example, Mmiri Imo (Imo River) Ọnụnkwọ Emeke ( Nkwọ Emekukwu/Emekuku (River) Ekeọnụ mmiri ( River Ekeọnụ mmiri ) Iyi Eke (Eke river) etc.bb

From the introduction of what names are, we are going to look into different names Igbo people answer as a proper/personal names, their origins and meanings and more importantly the reasons for they bear such names.

In Igbo land (Ala Igbo), a child is not named immediately he is born, the umbilical cord (Alọ) would fall off, and if a male child, he will be circumcised will after eight days. To name a child in Igbo land, male or female, the child requires the presence of the kin’s men/ villagers (ụmụ nna) because, naming ceremony is a core tradition of the Igbo people that is highly celebrated. Furthermore, naming ceremony in Igbo land is seen as a great thing, happening on a great day. On the twenty-fourth day of the baby’s birth, he is given a name by his parents and in some cases, relatives are allowed to give the baby their own names; the mother of the new born baby will be showered with different kinds of gifts, such as, food items, clothe etc. The day of a naming ceremony in Igbo land is known as (ụbọchị nkupụta nwa/ma ọ bụ ịgụ aha) it is traditional to welcome a new born child in the mist of family/kin’s men, relatives and friends. In some circumstances or in some Igbo areas, the ceremony would have to be on a particular Igbo market day.

On the day of the celebration, villagers, relatives including friends and well wishers of the family will come to celebrate the new born child. There will be enough food and drink for the people on that day such as, Ụtara ji, ụtara apkụ, ọka a gwọrọ a gwọ,ụgba, abacha,akịdị, mmanya ngwọ na mmaya nkwụ etc.

Relatives coming for the naming ceremony will come with wine; women of the kindred will prepare and plan how to come and dance, eat and serve foods that they had prepared.  The mother of the baby would dress in unique attire and sit at the centre of the compound or at a specially prepared spot from where she greets and receives gifts from relative, guests and well-wishers.

Since Africans give their children names for a purpose, so do the Igbo. Igbo people do not answer names because they want to have a name, for self identification or categorization; rather they answer names according to life situations and circumstances. Ụbahakwe (1982 p.27) observes the high culture content of African indigenous name that generally personifies the individual, tells some story about the parents and/family of the bearer; and most importantly, showcase or point to the values of the society in which the individual is born into.

Igbo people are giving names according to situations or circumstances surrounding the child’s birth (SM. Ahamba et al, 1979, p.90). For you to know how life has treated an Igbo, the perfect place to look into, are the names his or her children bear.  Achebe (1976 P. 96) pointed out that, names in Igbo land showcases hope, fear, joys and sorrows; grievances against other fellows; complaints about how fortune has treated him or her and also as a historical records that are available.  Abati (2004, p.2) asserts that, children in Igbo land are not just given names as a label; rather, names they are given are suppose to hold /have meaning.  The name a child bears defines the circumstances the parents faced during the time of pregnancy or child delivery which could be describe  or refer  to as an aspects of the family history, relationships , aspirations, expectations, faith, or even to commemorate a special or a specific moment/place where  the child was born in the community or in the nation.

Anyone can give a child a name, but the particular name one bears or is mostly identified with is that which is given to him by the parents, especially the name given to an Igbo child by his father; because of his authority as the head and pillar of the family.

Naming ceremony in Igbo land always take place in the evening to enable those who have gone to work or market to come and partake in the ceremony. When it is time to name the newborn baby, the mother will be accompanied by her co-wives to bring out the child for the husband or a close relation of the husband, as the case may be, to name the child.

The women will be singing and dancing as they play their musical instruments along side with the men making shouts of joy ( ịma inwere)”hi ho, hi ho/ ti ho, ti ho”.   This would signify that the child is welcomed by all and to a greater level, the love they have for him or her. If the father of the baby is alive, he will tell the story surrounding the child’s birth; however, in the absence of the father, the mother could tell the story. After this, the father will lift the child before his kin’s men for blessings (ịgọ ọfọ ọma/inye  ngọzi) and then give the child a name; the name, with which the child would be identified with form that moment onwards.

Whatsoever the name is, nobody will dispute or say anything against a name given to a child by his father, because it must hold a meaning (s) that the father wants to project. Other members of the family can equally give the child names according to what they take the child for or what he represents to them. The names given to a child are his identity.

Once more, S. M Ahamba et al (1979, p.90) asserts that, whoever feels that his brothers/kin’s men have done him mischievous things, cause him mischief, trouble or injury, proclaims this by giving his children names such as:  Enyereibe, which means, if my right is given to my brother’s / kin’s men to give me, they would not let it reach me, Ụlọkanjọ which means, my home is evil, Ụlọnaegbu, meaning, my brother’s/kin’s men kills. Ụmụnnakwe, if my brothers / kin’s men consent, Onyeụlọegbulem, meaning, let my brothers not kill me, Ọhaegbulem/Ọhaegbulam, which means, let my people not kill me. Ọhazuruike / Igbozuruike, let my people rest/stop their mischief, Ibeabụchi/Ibeawụchi, no one is god, {bụchi/ Onyebụchi, meaning who is my god?

On the hand, those who think or believe that it is only what their gods says about them will come to pass in their lives give their children names like, Chienyenwa which means, it is god  that gives children, Chinyere , meaning, god  gave, Chikere, meaning, god created ,Chikwe meaning, If god consent, Chilaaka, which means ,it is god who decides , Chikezie, /Chidozie,          let god preserve Chidera, which means ,what  god has written, Chigozirim, let god bless me, Chimemewommma ,my god has done me well, Ifesinachi, which means , something is from god, Ifụnanyachi, god’s love, Chiamaka, god is good etc.

Incidentally, those who feel/believe that  death has  dealt  with them also give their children names  like, Ọnwụhara/Ọnwụghara  meaning,  death leave me , Ọnwụbiko, death please ,  Ọnwụegbule, death do not kill me, Ọnwụdebe, death keep, Ọnwụzuruike, death rest, Ọnwụchụrụba, death pursue/hinders riches,  Ọnwụmere, death caused it, Ọnwụbụarịrị, / Ọnwụlịrị , death insults, Ọnwụanụbe, death hear no cry, Ọnwụemenyi, death has no friend, Ọnwụkanjọ, meaning, death is worst , Ọnwụchekwa, death preserve, Nwamkpa ie a tick forest/deity forest. in the renaissance days, Nkpa in Igbo is known as a place/deity forest where dead children were thrown into. So, whoever that bears Nwamkpa, assumes a female child who would die a few days after was born, and whose body will be thrown into the evil forest ‘Nkpa.’      However, it is now being understood that most child mortality then was caused by lack of knowledge on how to take proper care of little children like the issue of sickle cell anaemia.

According to M. S. Ahamba et al (1979.p 91),most Igbo people who bear no grudges /evil against another, gives their children  names like :  Nwokeọma, which means, good man, Obioma  ,good heart ,  Adamma,  good daughter (first daughter), Ụlụmma, good daughter (second daughter) Nwaugo  , daughter of honour, Ụlọmma, daughter of good home, Nwanjọ (ugly child) ironically beautiful child. When an Igbo man wants to express how beautiful or handsome a child is, the name will come ironically just as the one on this text .Nwaọzọgwọ   beautiful snake. Of course, no man in his rightful senses would like to name his or her child after a snake, but “Nwaọzọwọ” is a beautiful snake that is harmless, it is not seen often but usually comes out in the afternoon and whenever it comes out, it makes people around to gather and thus they believe that a good thing or fortune is about to happen /has happen.