SOME TONGA FORENAMES AND THEIR MEANINGS.
The Tonga people are an ethnic group found in the Southern part of Zambia and in the northern part of Zimbabwe. The Tonga people are believed to be the oldest Bantu settlers in Zambia. There are Valley Tonga who reside in a series of gorges near the Zambezi river and the Plateau Tonga who live in higher lands. They all speak the Tonga language “Chitonga” but each region has its own dialect with some differences of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation.
In Tonga culture, the naming of a child is an important occasion. 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 Tonga names are as follows:
LUYANDO: This name means “Love”. Parents gave this name as an expression of the love they had for each other and also for the love that they had for the child. A child with the name “Luyando” was seen as one that would promote love in the family.
LUSHOMO: This name means “faith”. This name was given to children as a way of acknowledging the importance of having faith. It expresses the faith that the mother and father had in each other and also the faith that the parents have for their child to grow up and become a successful person. It also expresses faith in God.
NCHIMUNYA: This name means “the same as before.” In the cultural context, this name referred to a situation where the child who was born was of the same gender as the immediate older siblings. Parents gave this name as an expression of the fact they had received a child who was of the same gender as the one they had received before.
MUTINTA: This name originates from the word “Tinta” which means “To change”. This name simply implied that the new child had caused a change in the gender order of the children. For example if a couple had previously had 3 female children and then finally got a male child, they would name the male child “Mutinta”. In the same way if a couple had previously had 3 male children and then finally got a female child, they would name the female child “Mutinta”.
MAINZA: This name means “rainy season”. This name was given to someone who was born in the raining season. The raining season was the time when agriculture was most active and so this name was associated with hard work. The implication was that a person who was named “Mainza” would be hard working.
BANJI: This name means “Many”. This name was usually given in cases when twins were involved. It would be given to the second born of the twins. During birth, there would be a case when the old women doing the delivery are not aware that the mother is carrying twins, after delivery a baby the women would realize that there is yet another baby to be born and they would encourage the mother to keep pushing and so the last baby to come out during a twin delivery would be called “Banji”.
BEENZU: This name means “Visitors”. Parents would name their child “Beenzu” in a situation where the child was born at a time when important visitors had visited the family. It was also believed that a person named “Beenzu” would grow to be a welcoming person who was kind and treated visitors well.
MILIMO: This name means “works”. In Tonga culture being a hard working person was a very important characteristic for one to have. Parents would give their child the name “Milimo” with the hope that the child would grow up to be a hard working person.
CHOOLWE: This name means “luck”. Parents would give this name to a child born at a time when they felt that luck was on their side. For example if the child was born at a time when the family was doing very well financially, naming the child “Choolwe” would be a way of announcing to others that the family has been very fortunate in life and that the coming of a new child would increase that good luck.
CHEELO: This name means “ghost”. A ghost refers to a spirit of a deceased person that those who are alive believe they can see or hear. Among the Tonga, ghosts were greatly feared.
CHIPEGO: This name means “Gift”. It was given as a way to acknowledge that the child who was born was a gift from God. It was a way of expressing gratitude for this wonderful gift.
LWEENDO: This name means “Journey”. This name was usually given to a person who was born at a time when the mother was on a journey.
TWAAMBO: This name means “Discussions”. The name was usually given when the child was born at a time when the family or community was involved in discussing important issues that could have been very contentious. Children born during a time when there were important issues being debated are the ones who were given the name “Twaambo”.
BUUMBA: This name means “sadness”. This name was given to a child who was born at a time when there was a sad event in the family such as a funeral.
CHIMUKA: This name originates from the word “muka‟ which means “be late”, so “Chimuka” means “the one who has come late”. This name was usually given to a child whose gestation period took a bit longer than normal. For example in a case where the baby was born in the 10th month of pregnancy, the child would be named “Chimuka”.
These are just a small selection of some Tonga forenames. Feel free to comment in the comment’s section below on the other Tonga forenames you know and their meaning.
(By Zambian Footprints)