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R/£ What's in a name does still count
January 13, 2004 Edition 1
Shellee Geduld
With all the cultures making up South Africa's diverse nation one is bound eventually to say to someone: "Huh? Can you spell your name for me?" Shellee Geduld did some digging and discovered interesting facts about names, what they mean and how they came about.
How often have you spoken to someone on the phone or met a person while standing in a queue who has one of the strangest names you've ever heard or just spells it in an unusual way?
Well, while looking through the endless columns of names of matriculants who passed their end-of-year exams recently, Cape Argus reporters could not help noticing a number of strange names.
And it was under similar circumstances that freelance journalist, Charlene Smith, got the idea to write her book, Baby Names for South African Babies.
She says the idea came to her while her son Matthew was in hospital having his appendix removed.
"I didn't want to leave him alone so I stayed with him in the hospital and read the birth notices and noticed the different types of names."
She spoke to her publisher and they gave her the go ahead to do research and write the book.
Smith asked many people, both famous and not-so-famous, why they chose to give their child that name.
The book also goes into the history of how a name is chosen in some of the many cultures that make South Africa what it is.
But with our diverse cultures to choose from and write about, Smith had her work cut out for her when deciding what to include and what to leave out.
She says choosing the right name for your child is very important because children often live up to the meaning of their names.
Smith said even before 1994 there was an increase in the number of people in the white and coloured communities who chose to give their children traditionally African names, the most popular being Thandi, Lindiwe, Zinzi, Thabo and Sipho.
Zanele, the name of President Thabo Mbeki's wife, has also become popular since he took office in 1999.
South African-born actress Charlize Theron has made it big in Hollywood and her unusual first name is also proving to be popular among Afrikaners. Research has shown they tend to give their daughters names starting with "Char".
Speaking to parents, the Cape Argus also noticed a tendency to make up names by combining the parents' names. Anyone familiar with soapies would recall Brooke and Ridge of the Bold and the Beautiful naming their daughter Bridget. Get it?
Of course, soapies are also often a source of names.
The choice of names like Austin and Hope are clearly influenced by the soapie Days of Our Lives.
Another well-known celebrity with an unusual name is Oprah. It is reported that her name was supposed to have been Orpah, a Biblical figure from the book of Ruth, but sources differ on how it came to be mis-spelt.
When asked if any of the characters in the Lord of the Ring trilogy would become popular names, Smith said this would be very difficult to predict.
"You normally get a trend developing if things become cultish."
She said a name that has gained popularity, especially in the US and UK, is Tolkien as a first name.
Latest trends
Smith says there has seen an increase in interest in some of the beautiful names from the Middle East.
She lists the following names as her favourites:
Girl names:
Boy names:
"The fast pace of our lives is seeing a yearning for a slower time, so old-fashioned names are coming back into style," said Smith.
Girl names:
Boy names:
African names:
Smith says there has been an increase in names that relate to natural things.
For example: Summer, Indigo, Savannah, Sahara, Poloma (dove), Shanti (peace) and Star (because "Skye is as dead as a dodo. It's way too overused").
People also tend to give their children names which illustrate their hopes for them.
Unusual names
Girl names:
Boy names:
The Bible inspired Afrikaner parents
Hans Heese, a historian and archivist at the University of Stellenbosch, has a specialist interest in South African genealogy.
Speaking to the Cape Argus about the origins of Afrikaner names, he said most first names were taken from the Bible. Names such as David, Daniel, Johannes, Jacobus and Mattheus.
"It was tradition that the eldest son got the paternal father's name, the second son got the maternal father's name and the third son got the biological father's name." And the same principle was applied in naming girl children.
The move towards giving Afrikaner children more modern names would make it difficult to keep the traditional family names strong.
Heese said Afrikaner surnames came directly from Europe, through immigrants who married Afrikaner girls.
Traditionally the work that a person did in Europe often dictated his surname. For example, Dekker and Bakker in the Netherlands or Smith, Smit and Schmidt.
Slaves had been named by their owners, often after months, such as January and September, or with names taken from classical Greek and Roman mythology, such as Apollis and Adonis.
The surname Jonas could be either coloured or Afrikaner.
Traditionally it was a slave name but could be that of a Khoikhoi descendant. There were also Jonas immigrants from Norway and Germany whose children embraced the Afrikaner community in South Africa.
Surnames such as Fortuin (and its variations), Matthys and Geduld are also typical slave names, Heese said.
Traditions differ in naming a child
Different cultures and religions have not only their own funds of traditional names but also their own lore and rituals to be followed when babies are named.
Afrikaans
While Smith was gathering information for her book, she came across research done at Rhodes University.
It showed that Afrikaans families often gave their children double-barrelled names. There was often an English influence or the names were a combination of a parent and grandparent's names.
"In addition, babies in Afrikaans communities are more likely to be given the surname of an ancestor as a first name.
Examples of this include De Wet Potgieter and Beyers Naudé." Another example is Western Province rugby player De Wet Barry.
The study also showed that children who were given English first names were better known by their Afrikaans nicknames.
"Examples include Jill Kelly better known as 'Marmoeitjie' and a child given the fancy name of Lorton Howard was better known to his family and friends as 'Ouboet'."
Hindu
There are various ways a Hindu family will decide on a name for their child.
"Some parents use numerology in order to arrive at a name. Others consult a Hindu astrologer who comes up with the most auspicious name for the baby."
Smith said Brahmin Hindus name their child six days after the birth because they believe the child's karma only "enters on that day. In a sense the infant's "book of life" is opened and his or her life begins to be recorded on that day.
"On the evening of the day, the family gathers and the paternal aunt turns the baby six times to represent the entering of life. During this ceremony, called Shasti (six), some parents light six clay lamps filled with oil. Under each lamp they place a piece of paper bearing a name. The lamp that remains burning the longest then indicates the child's
name."
Smith says this could also date back to when there was a high infant mortality rate and parents waited to see if children were going to survive before naming them.
Islam
A Doekmaal is performed by an Imam (priest) or sheik in the presence of family and friends. It can also be performed by someone who knows how to conduct the ceremony.
Prayers are said and the Imam then cuts a lock of the child's hair for safekeeping.
Water is sprinkled over the child and the words Allah akbaar (God is great) are whispered in the child's ear, says Smith. The ceremony is usually held during the week after the child's birth.
Jewish
In Jewish culture a baby is usually given two names, an English and a Hebrew name.
Smith said the child can be named in honour of a special family or historical event. The child can also be named according to the parashah - "a name that appears in the weekly Torah portion around the time of the child's birth".
Ashkenazic Jews, from Eastern and Central Europe, usually name their child after a deceased relative. The custom dates back to the Middle Ages where it was believed the Angel of Death might take the child by mistake.
The Sephardic Jews - from the Mediterranean - often name their child after a living relative because they believe the person will guide the child through life. In the case of a boy baby, the child will receive his father's name if the father died before he was born.
Venda
While Smith was doing her research into the traditions of African culture, she spoke to Charles Nthambeleni Netshisualu, a lecturer at the University of Venda.
He told her the father's parents name the baby. Netshisualu said there are few names in their culture that are expressions of happy events. Babies are usually named after things that the family or the community are concerned about at that time.
Smith said if a grandmother is unhappy with the way the family has been treating her she could name the child Avhampfuni, which means 'they don't like me'. The parents cannot change the name if they are unhappy with it. "Once the grandparent has decided on a name there can be no further debate," said Netshisualu.
Xhosa/ Zulu
Smith spoke to Vivien de Klerk at Rhodes University when she researched Xhosa/ Zulu traditions.
She was told that the paternal grandmother has a say in naming the child. De Klerk said Xhosa and Zulu families named the children after the mother's family.
She said that Xhosa men are not involved in the birth of their babies. In fact, they are forbidden from even attending the birth.
"Fathers may be told the sex of the child but they may not see the child or its mother for at least eight days after the birth."
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