Source: andreswd / Getty
In African American culture, a name isn’t just what you’re called. It’s the first glimpse at your full identity, a foretelling of your future even. When you meet a woman named Porscha or Diamond, it’s likely her parents admired expensive things. It’s more accurate to presume, however, that they wanted to reflect the high value, rarity, and timelessness of their little girl. Same goes for a man named Prince or Sir. At first glance, one could assume his parents wanted something regal, right? Maybe. But those names also signify nobility, honor, and status. Announcing your baby boy as such is a power move. Especially in a world that would otherwise see them as the complete opposite.
The Transformative Power of Black Names
It’s not strange that African Americans hold naming traditions that in many ways reflect those of Africans. According to the BBC, traditional African names are not random by any means. From the time of day a baby is born to the circumstances surrounding their birth, several factors influence the names parents choose for their children. For example, Ayodele meaning ‘Joy has come home,’ is a unisex name for a baby whose birth brought happiness to their Yoruba parents in Nigeria. Kiptanui and Cheptanui are often given to babies whose mothers may have suffered extreme difficulties during childbirth among the Kalenjin ethnic group in Kenya. And, Lindiwe meaning ‘We have waited,’ is a Zulu name often given to a baby girl after a long line of boys.
SEE ALSO: Christian Rapper Wande Changes Her Name To Anike In A Spiritual Move
Even nicknames have a high significance – sometimes reflective of real name (i.e. ‘KiKi’ to Kiara). Other times they’re totally unrelated, like ‘Boots’ for someone named Travis, but undoubtedly pinned by a funny story to make it make sense.
Given names aren’t the only ones with prophetic power. Gospel Mavutula from Malawi was originally named Misery. As an adult, he decided it was too negative and changed it. “I was born at a period when my parents were miserable,” he told the BBC. He said his parents, both teachers, had been experiencing pressure at work and problems with their neighbors. This influenced his birth name. “I have avoided that scenario by giving nice names to my children,” he added.
Many notable figures have exchanged their birth names for ones they felt better embodied their existence and experience. Sojourner Truth from Isabella Baumfree. Toni Morrison from Chloe Ardelia Wofford. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. Muhammad Ali from Cassius Clay. Some made the change for religious reasons, others to ditch their “slave name” as Ali called his original handle. As stated by the African American Intellectual History Society, “They recognized that full liberation extended beyond legal and social gains. It included the ability to exercise self-definition and affirmation of their humanity on their own terms.”
SEE ALSO: Woman Connects With Her Gospel Singer Namesake Nearly 50 Years Later
Today, others take on a different moniker to beat discrimination, as in Dwight Jackson’s case. After placing several applications for a position at the Shinola Hotel under his real name to no avail, he decided to change only the name on his resume to see if that made a difference. The Detroit man resubmitted his application using the moniker “John Jebrowski” and was invited to interview within the same week.
The essence of a Black name may come with scrutiny, spoken and unspoken, but it also holds the weight of culture and history. The throughline of our names – and changes – is power. Power to choose. Power to affirm. Power to start anew.
SEE ALSO: Top 30 African American Baby Girl Names
