SOME NAMWANGA FORENAMES AND THEIR MEANINGS
The Namwanga people are an ethnic group found in Muchinga province of Zambia, particularly in Nakonde and Isoka districts.
Naming a child is an important aspect of Namwanga culture. As is the case with many other African societies, the names given to children are usually based on the different circumstances and events that surround the birth of the child, these include; manner of the birth, happiness, fertility, bad occurrences, order of birth and so on. In some instances forenames are given to infants in memory of a dead family member such as a sibling, parent or grandparent. Sometimes the characteristics that parents observe from the child at birth also play a role in determining the name.
Some of the common Namwanga names are as follows:
IVWANANJI: This name means ‘understand each other’. Parents gave this name to their children in order to encourage togetherness and unity among the family members. The name was also given in instances where the father and mother of the child may have had some arguments and the child was seen as the one who would unite the father and mother.
NDOSILWE: This name means “Blessing”. It was usually given to female children. It was given in cases where parents had male children only and they longed to have a female child and they choose the name “Ndosilwe” to express gratitude for being blessed with a female child.
LANDANJI: This name means “Let them talk”. This name was given by parents as an indirect message to outsiders or neighbours who had the tendency of gossiping about them. It was a way of expressing that the gossiping or schemes of outsiders would not stop the family from living a happy life
KUNDANANJI: This name means “love one another”. The aim of this name was to foster a spirit of love in the family.
ALINANI: This name means ‘God is with me’. The name was given by a mother who had gone through some difficulties during her pregnancy but she managed to give birth to the child and she used it as a way of declaring that “God is with her”. In other instances the name was also used as a way of expressing the desire for God to watch over the child as the child grows.
ALINASWE: This name means ‘God is with us’. This name was linked to the religious faith of the parents of the child and parents usually gave this name as a way to show their gratefulness to God for blessing them with a child.
SALIFYANJI: This name means ‘Thanking God’. This name was given to express thankfulness to God on being blessed with a Child. It was also given as a message to some people in the family who did not show gratitude for things that were being done for them by other family members. Parents would name a child “Salifyanji” to remind people who are unappreciative to become more appreciative.
SUWILANJI: This name means ‘faith’. This name would be given to both male and female children. It is an expression of having faith in something good happening. For example in instances where a family was going through hardships, parents would name their child “Suwilanji” because they had faith that the child would grow up to liberate or rescue them from the challenges.
TETELANJI: ‘forgive’. This name was used to signal a fresh start. It was a way for a mother to ask forgiveness for all the wrongs she may have done. The child was a symbol of “Forgiveness” for any past mistakes.
WANKUMBU: This name means ‘mercy’. It was used as a way to thank God for his mercy.
KAFWIMBI: This name means ‘conqueror’. It expresses the desire of the parents for their child to be persistent and have the ability to fight through challenges and be successful.
MUCHINZI: This name means “respect”. This name was given as a way of parents to tell the people in the community to respect them. This would be because the community around them did not give them respect based on the fact that they stayed for many years without a child. This name expressed a demand for respect.
These are just a small selection of some Namwanga forenames. Feel free to comment in the comment’s section below on the other Namwanga forenames you know and their meaning.
(By Zambian Footprints)