Baby Names -The Search

Over the years, men have knocked their heads while trying to make a name for themselves. It all began with the statement “"Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves…..”. When a man or a woman forges the highest niche in society, we suddenly find a good reason to name our children after them.

 

Many parents go through a lot of struggle when deciding on the name to give to their child. Most of them wish there was a Dictionary of Names they could use to name their young ones, or an Encyclopedia of names. Others do not have to go far because the backyard contains grandparents whose posterior needs assurance that the family name will find continuity. Various communities have unique ways of naming.

No offence is meant in this narrative. I would like to hear more about the issue at hand from my Chinese brothers and sisters. When I was young, I thought Chinese and South East Asian names sounded interesting to the ear. Jesters would say these names sounded like a dropping spoon or fork- ching chang pang or pak ching lee, and what have you.

Names have been based on seasons and natural calamities. I know of a couple that named their child “Taabu- Swahili word for trouble”. And sure enough, this poor fellow never lived past the age of 40 years. Many friends marvel at the ease with which I find names for my young ones. One of them had a wife who was due in two weeks. The husband couldn’t think of a name and requested for assistance. The minute I mentioned the Greek word Doxa (Glory) to him, he quickly jumped at it and never let it go. I had just contributed to the naming of a child because two weeks later, I heard him call his daughter Doxa.

We realize our innate tendency to lean towards the character of the person behind the name and the principles they upheld, not to mention the fame that surrounds them. Who doesn’t want to be famous? Names have meaning. Our inbuilt desire for fame drives us towards particular names.

A name like Trump connotes wealth, while Obama spells out fame, hope and popularity. Gandhi might suggest wisdom, while Mary and Teresa imply holiness. We forget that at times, people do not necessarily live up to the character whose name we chose, thus indicative of misnomers on the parents’ part.

Happy is the parent who lands upon a name that truly suits their children, for they will sleep easy. Some parents will say a particular name does not feel good on their tongues or sound right in their ears.

Do names suggest one’s character? Names are definitely suggestive of one’s character. Not many a father want to name their child Lucifer, which nicely means the light-bearer, but with more nasty implications that we all know.

Some commonly used names carry hidden meanings despite our liking them. The name John is fine and in common usage. It has many good implications to it. However, no one comes out to tell us this name also means; a building or room with one or more toilets, a whoremaster and whoremonger, a prostitute’s customer. Do the Johns we know live up to this character? Abel means - shortness of life as in vapour or breath, while Cain means possession. No wonder parents divert from these names. Know your names before you assign them. Commonly used names may be found below: new fathers and mothers might find this helpful:

Moses – in Hebrew is Mosheh, meaning drawn from the water, or "saved from the water”

Peter - a rock or stone

Mary - a tearful person

Zachariah - remembered by Jehovah

Abigail - source of joy

Keren - the horn of beauty

Zadok - the just one

Jacob - the supplanter or one who wrongfully or illegally seizes and holds the place of another

Matthew - gift of Jehovah

Martha - a lady

Phoebe - radiant

Luke - light-giving

Magdalene - a tower

Manoah – rest

John - the grace of God

Obadiah -servant of the Lord

Obed – serving

Noah – rest

Ophrah – fawn or young deer

Onesimus – profitable or useful

Omar – eloquent or talkative

Absalom - father of peace

Abner - father of light

Abraham - father of a multitude

Abram - a high father

Sarah – princess

Esther - a star

Adam - Adamah or red clay

Zebedee - my gift

Zippor – sparrow

Claudia - lame

Nabal – fool

Naomi - my delight

Susanna - a lily

James - the Greek form of Jacob the supplanter

The list goes on and on for as long as children are being born.

Ensure to choose your child’s name wisely lest they end up like the despots and wretched ones of the earth. Your creator is very careful in naming. This is implies he knows the significance thereof.

Which are the good and bad names? Good names will even end up as a brand name. To be lifted up and honoured over the years. What of;

McDonalds

Lloyds

Trump

Washington

Mandela

Gandhi

Nehru

Bad names speak for themselves and very few parents, except for the defiant ones, will want any association with them. What of;

Hitler

Judas

Amin

Cain

Nabal.