Omarbah:
Africans have abandoned aspects of their culture but they still have a very distintic culture.
There are however, lost Africans that are even ashamed of speaking their native language in public. They are a lost case and should not be considered Africans.

fightforchange1:


They're dumb. No offense, I love the wear, and I love the dance and language.

fightforchange1:


They're dumb. No offense, I love the wear, and I love the dance and language.

Fulaman198:


LOL it's kind of sad and disgraceful at the same time when Black Americans like yourself appreciate African cultures more so than actual Africans

MissMeiya:


Sigh. My instincts were right. I had a feeling where that name thing was headed, and I'm literally cringing at the repeated use of the word "ghetto" to describe Black names. You got that from racist white people. Period. I will talk more about invented names in a second.

See my previous post for the origins of Black names. Many are originally Islamic, with and without altered spellings. As Fulaman198 already pointed out, the name Aisha comes from the Koran.

As for the names you sneered at:
Taequan - likely an invented name from the 1970s black empowerment movement, modeled after existing Islamic names, which commonly include exotic (from a eurocentric perspective) letters like q and j.
LaShonda - same as above. Likely stemmed from existing Islamic names Rashad and Roshan (feminized as Rashonda), then further customized, in keeping with the trends at the time. Eurocentric baby name sites theorize Hebrew and Welsh origins, which I find perfectly laughable, given what I know of African-American history. They suppose it's a blend of Shona and Rhonda. It's a stretch. Bless their hearts.
Kalisha - Artificial feminization of the Islamic name Khalil.
Jaequan - see Taequan.
Lawanda - In all likelihood, influenced by the common -awn/-uan in vogue at the time, especially due to the q sound of some adopted Islamic names.
Lakeisha - Another invented names with probable Islamic origin, faint resemblance as it has. The common k and the feminization suffix -sha (which is African in origin), are characteristic of the customized Islamic names of the time.

As for taking African names, believe it or not, bigfrancis21, the thought had already occurred to African-Americans (see previous comment regarding Afrocentrism). Some popular Black names that are African in origin: Ashanti, Tanisha, Aaliyah, Malaika. And they didn't have the Internet when the renaming phenomenon was occurring. And no African literature they could draw from. So you can understand the limited variety. They had the Koran, what they heard, and their imaginations.

Now, as promised, the subject of invented names and "real names". Some examples of white invented names:
Vanessa, Wendy, Jayden, Scarlett, Fiona, Jessica, Pamela, Cedric, Percival, Dorian, Ryker. Some white invented names with distorted spellings, not unlike those used by black Americans to customize existing names: Haleigh/Hailey/Haley (from Hayley) Jaxon (from Jackson), Emely/Emmalee (from Emily), Ashlee/Ashleigh (from Ashley), Carley/Carleigh (from Carly, feminized Carl), Michaela/Mckayla... to be honest, I have no idea where this came from. Some invented names (usually American) have the Irish Mac-/Mc- prefix added for creative purposes. The meaning of mac, however, is "son of", so sometimes you see names like this, that don't make any sense. The suffix -leigh, as in a few of the examples I gave, is an attempt to "Irish-ize" the sounds "lee", "ly" and "lie", which are all variations of Old English "ley". Those names are seen as perfectly acceptable, even the more recently invented ones.

I think you get my point. All names were invented, whether in the distant past, as local variations of names imported by invading armies in ancient Europe, or in the relatively recent past, in young America by Southern whites, or virtually yesterday during the 1970s and 1980s by black Americans trying to establish an identity, and reclaim a sense of self--a unique challenge for any people.

Your name is your identity. How long did you expect they to go on without an identity? The ones forced on them, the names of the people who enslaved and tortured them, and continued to spit in their face? That identity came with heavy psychological and demeaning consequences. Those names say "I named you, like a pet." and "You can only aspire to be what I am, imitating me, like a monkey." Can you say inferiority complex? Even the European names adopted by Black Americans eventually fell out of favor with whites, and became as stigmatized as the invented ones. French names such as Monique, Antoine, André, and Chantal, are now considered to be Black names. It was (and perhaps, still is) a lose-lose scenario. The only remaining alternative was the one they chose.




Cliff notes: White people invented names too, in the past and today. The only reason you mock invented Black names is because of white racism. In addition, many of the names you deemed meaningless, in fact have Islamic origin. But you made an assumption, again, because of white racism.

bigfrancis21:


I saw your post but have been so busy lately to reply you. You seem to get my post and write-ups totslly wrong and I will point them out to you right away.

1) Where did I ever say or insinuate in my posts that AA names were ghetto? I do not remember ever saying such. Without being emotional, I faced the issue at hand directly. I simply asked the meaning of popular African American names? How is such question being ghetto? All over Africa, Europe, America, Latin America, names borne in these areas all have meanings. African American names seem to be the only ones missing out in this quality. Get my point straight, I only asked the African Americans here for the meaning of their names of which no one was able to answer the question correctly, even yours truly.

2) The suggestions you gave as to the origins of those names are unquestionably inconclusive. You only proferred likely suggestions, which by the way are based on what you think, which seemed to circle around the very basic question asked but failed in its entirety to succinctly answer the question posed.

3) Now that the internet has exploded even the more, we should expect an increase in the adoption of african names by african americans, right? The truth is, your excuse about the low exposure to the internet in as few as few years back isn't no excuse and does not hold water.

I understand that they had to invent names in order to create a unique identity for themselves. But at the same time, they failed to attach meanings whatsoever to those names when they were inventing them. African names are/were also invented. They didn't just pop up from somewhere. Even the so-called white names all have meanings. And till today, new African names are being invented. Taking the Igbo language for example, new names have being invented such as Kosarachi, Kamsiyochukwu etc. And these new name inventions all have meanings.

Do not attach needless sentiments to a question you ought to have read objectively. Asking for the meaning of AA names does not equate, in any way to 'sneering' or calling them 'ghetto' when none of the above was, even the least, insinuated.

MissMeiya:


Now, as promised, the subject of invented names and "real names". Some examples of white invented names:
Vanessa, Wendy, Jayden, Scarlett, Fiona, Jessica, Pamela, Cedric, Percival, Dorian, Ryker. Some white invented names with distorted spellings, not unlike those used by black Americans to customize existing names: Haleigh/Hailey/Haley (from Hayley) Jaxon (from Jackson), Emely/Emmalee (from Emily), Ashlee/Ashleigh (from Ashley), Carley/Carleigh (from Carly, feminized Carl), Michaela/Mckayla... to be honest, I have no idea where this came from. Some invented names (usually American) have the Irish Mac-/Mc- prefix added for creative purposes. The meaning of mac, however, is "son of", so sometimes you see names like this, that don't make any sense. The suffix -leigh, as in a few of the examples I gave, is an attempt to "Irish-ize" the sounds "lee", "ly" and "lie", which are all variations of Old English "ley". Those names are seen as perfectly acceptable, even the more recently invented ones.

I think you get my point. All names were invented, whether in the distant past, as local variations of names imported by invading armies in ancient Europe, or in the relatively recent past, in young America by Southern whites, or virtually yesterday during the 1970s and 1980s by black Americans trying to establish an identity, and reclaim a sense of self--a unique challenge for any people.

Your name is your identity. How long did you expect they to go on without an identity? The ones forced on them, the names of the people who enslaved and tortured them, and continued to spit in their face? That identity came with heavy psychological and demeaning consequences. Those names say "I named you, like a pet." and "You can only aspire to be what I am, imitating me, like a monkey." Can you say inferiority complex? Even the European names adopted by Black Americans eventually fell out of favor with whites, and became as stigmatized as the invented ones. French names such as Monique, Antoine, André, and Chantal, are now considered to be Black names. It was (and perhaps, still is) a lose-lose scenario. The only remaining alternative was the one they chose.




Cliff notes: White people invented names too, in the past and today. The only reason you mock invented Black names is because of white racism. In addition, many of the names you deemed meaningless, in fact have Islamic origin. But you made an assumption, again, because of white racism.

MissMeiya:


1. You were not the only person I quoted. In fact, you were more of a CC to my post.

2. It is extremely obvious that you did not read my post. Your reply was utterly defensive and emotional. Read my post. It answers all the questions you asked.

3. Yes, african americans have more options now. Did you bother to ask whether the kinds of names you (yes, you did) sneered at are at all popular today? Did you notice my consistent use of past tense? You asked about the origin of those names. I answered you. Times change. It has been almost 50 years since the cultural movement I discussed. There is not a civilization on Earth that hasn't changed their baby naming trends since then.


And no. "Invented" names do not have meanings, not even when the sacred white man does it. I listed several such names. Read my post, don't just skim it this time.

bigfrancis21:



1) Two opposing statements from 2 posts of yours. You claimed initially that all names were invented and in your defense post of today claimed that invented names have no meaning. If all names are invented as you claim, of which some of such 'invented' names such as John, Peter, Chidi, Ifeoluwa etc. have meanings, how then can you turn around and say, invented names have no meaning?

Of course, I do agree that all given names are invented because they were created out of something, with some form of human influence to them. There is no such thing as a natural name given that no name existed prior to the beginning of man or existed on its own without the influence of man. All names are invented and most of these names, whether in Africa, Europe, Latin America etc. do have meanings. If not meanings, they were possibly given in relation to the nature of circumstances that prevailed at the time of the baby's birth. In addition, the most popular baby naming trend has always been to give or 'invent' names that have meanings attached to them. In Igboland, baby naming is deemed a very important one as it is believed that a name given to a child influences that child's destiny, and thus important a child is given a name with useful meaning. African Americans seem to be different in this regard, as they only seem to care about inventing syllabic-combinednames and pay little attention to meanings whatsoever.

2) As for the so-called white names you listed as having no meanings, it turns out that they do actually have meanings. All it takes is a little google check to find their meaning. I don't think you cared to check if the names actually had meanings before rendering them as 'invented', and consequently meaningless.

Jessica - The name Jessica is a Hebrew baby name. In Hebrew the meaning of the name Jessica is: Rich. God beholds.

Just for the reminder, I don't remember ever asking about the origin of the names when I listed them. Your 10-line passage dedicated to some 'likely' origin of African American names was totally extraneous and irrelevant to the question posed. Giving a 10-line speech on some likely origin of AA names still does not tell what their meanings are.

Finally, I still think it is important to read and answer questions objectively and straight-to-the point. It is amazing to think that an innocent question begging for a simple yes/no answer would suddenly attract 'sneering', and 'ghetto' accusatory lines, backed up with some needless 'muslim origin' 10-line speech.

bigfrancis21:

Vanessa - The name Vanessa is a Greek baby name. In Greek the meaning of the name Vanessa is: Butterfly.

Wendy - The name Wendy is a German baby name. In German the meaning of the name Wendy is: Family; Wanderer.

Pamela - The name Pamela is a Latin baby name. In Latin the meaning of the name Pamela is: Made of honey.

Cedric - The name Cedric is a Welsh baby name. In Welsh the meaning of the name Cedric is: War leader; gift of splendor.

Fiona - The name Fiona is a Celtic baby name. In Celtic the meaning of the name Fiona is: White or comely.

Scarlett - The name Scarlett is an English baby name. In English the meaning of the name Scarlett is: Red. One who wears or sells scarlet cloth.

Dorian - The name Dorian is a Greek baby name. In Greek the meaning of the name Dorian is: Of Doris, a district of Greece; or of Doros, a legendary Greek hero.

Percival - The name Percival is an English baby name. In English the meaning of the name Percival is: Pierces the valley.

Jackson - The name Jackson is an American baby name. In American the meaning of the name Jackson is: God has been gracious; has shown favor. Based on John or Jacques.

Just in case you get too excited to know the website from which the above meanings were culled from, you can help yourself out at http://www.sheknows.com

MissMeiya:

Vanessa is a feminine given name, especially popular in the United States and Germany. It was invented by the Anglo-Irish writer Jonathan Swift for Esther Vanhomrigh, whom Swift had met in 1708 and whom he tutored. The name was created by taking "Van" from Vanhomrigh's last name and adding "Essa", a pet form of Esther.

DeGategno, Paul J.; R. Jay Stubblefield (2006). Critical Companion to Jonathan Swift. p. 42.


The character Wendy Darling from the 1904 play Peter Pan and its 1911 novelization Peter and Wendy by J. M. Barrie. The name was inspired by young Margaret Henley, daughter of Barrie's poet friend W. E. Henley. With the common childhood difficulty pronouncing Rs, Margaret reportedly used to call him 'my fwiendy-wendy'

Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges, Dictionary of First Names, 1990


Sir Philip Sidney invented the name Pamela for a pivotal character in his epic prose work, The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia, written in the late 16th century and published posthumously. It is widely thought that Sidney intended the name to mean "all sweetness" having in mind the Greek words pan (all) and meli (honey).

Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges, Dictionary of First Names, 1990.


Cedric is a male given name invented by Walter Scott in the 1819 novel Ivanhoe, based on Cerdic, , a name of uncertain etymology borne by the traditional founder of the West Saxon kingdom in the 6th-century.

Sir Walter Scott, Graham Tulloch (ed.), Ivanhoe, vol. 8 of The Edinburgh Edition of the Waverley Novels, Edinburgh University Press, 1998, ISBN 9780748605736, "explanatory notes", p. 511.




The name Fiona was invented, and first used, by the Scottish poet James Macpherson (1736–96), author of the Ossian poems, which he claimed were translations from ancient Gaelic sources (sources, when challenged, he never produced). The name was subsequently used as a pseudonym by William Sharp (1855–1905), who authored several romantic works under the name "Fiona Macleod". The name has since become popular in England, Scotland and Ireland.

Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A dictionary of first names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, pp. 99–100, ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1.


Brought into use as a given name due to Margaret Mitchell's heroine Scarlett O'Hara in the best-selling novel "Gone With the Wind" in 1936. Initially, author Mitchell referred to her heroine as "Pansy" until just before publication. Upon advice from her editor, who felt readers would relate to the firey character better under a more dramatic name, she changed the name to "Scarlett", a variation of the word 'scarlet'.

Shrewd, Selfish Scarlett: A Complicated Heroine". NPR. Retrieved 2010-09-26.


It was created by American playright Oscar Wilde for the main character in his 1891 philosophical novel, "The Picture of Dorian Gray".

Wilde, Oscar (2011) [1890]. Frankel, Nicholas, ed. The Picture of Dorian Gray: An Annotated, Uncensored Edition. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press (Harvard University Press). ISBN 978-0-674-05792-0.


English and French name, invented by the French poet Chrétien de Troyes for the hero of his poem "Percevale, a knight of King Arthur." (c. 1175).

Pickering, David. The Penguin Book of Baby Names, Penguin UK, 2009, pp. 413.


Hold on. Hold it. Did you actually read the things you were copying and pasting? Let me show you want you just posted, one more time:

"In American the meaning of the name Jackson is: God has been gracious; has shown favor."

[size=18pt]"In American"[/size]

You've got to be kidding. Today, I learned that Americans speak a form of English that means something else... in ENGLISH. Speaking as an American, if you were somehow under the impression that that was anything but sarcasm, let me assure you that we actually do speak English.

Jackson is an English surname meaning... son of Jack. Go figure. It became a given name in the Southern region of America, popularized by seventh U.S. President Andrew Jackson, who was a Southerner.

Peter Verstappen (1980) The book of surnames: origins and oddities of popular names p.89. University of Michigan



....ohhhh. I apologize. I didn't realize you got those meanings from such an illustrious and credible website. SheKnows.com is at the forefront of historical research and its prestige is world-renowned. Any research article would be incomplete without a citation from SheKnows.com.

bigfrancis21:


Taequan
Lashonda
Kalisha
Jaequan
Lawanda
Lakeisha

Can you please tell us what they mean?

A true name is one with a meaning or one given based on meaning. A name isn't a name if it has no meaning. I would like to know the meaning of those names above.

MissMeiya:
I don't mind debate. But nothing pisses me faster or harder than arrogant ignorance.

MissMeiya:



Hold on. Hold it. Did you actually read the things you were copying and pasting? Let me show you want you just posted, one more time:

"In American the meaning of the name Jackson is: God has been gracious; has shown favor."

[size=18pt]"In American"[/size]

You've got to be kidding. Today, I learned that Americans speak a form of English that means something else... in ENGLISH. Speaking as an American, if you were somehow under the impression that that was anything but sarcasm, let me assure you that we actually do speak English.

Jackson is an English surname meaning... son of Jack. Go figure. It became a given name in the Southern region of America, popularized by seventh U.S. President Andrew Jackson, who was a Southerner.

Peter Verstappen (1980) The book of surnames: origins and oddities of popular names p.89. University of Michigan



....ohhhh. I apologize. I didn't realize you got those meanings from such an illustrious and credible website. SheKnows.com is at the forefront of historical research and its prestige is world-renowned. Any research article would be incomplete without a citation from SheKnows.com.

MissMeiya:

I put quotation marks around the word invented when I responded to you, did I not? Why do you think I did so? I was using the word in the way YOU did, which I obviously did not agree with.


Shame on you. I explained the origins of African-American names IN DETAIL in TWO LONG POSTS that your prejudice would not allow you to read.


Here is where I have to call you ignorant. I know where you got your stupid meanings. White baby naming sites, correct? I applaud your research skills. You think I'm as ignorant as you and pulled names or of thin air like you did with those "African American" names?


The oldest written record of the name with its current spelling is found as the name of a character in Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice, where it belongs to the daughter of Shylock. Shakespeare may have based it on the biblical name ISCAH, which would have been spelled Jescha in his time. It was not commonly used as a given name until the middle of the 20th century.

Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. A Dictionary of First Names. (1990). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-211651-7.
Karl Elze (1874), Essays on Shakespeare (PCMI collection)

Don't worry. I'm going to do every single one of the names I gave. Foolish person.


Dumbest response yet. "I didn't ask what the origins of the names were, I just wanted to know what they mean" You're a móron.


If you don't want someone to call you out on your ignorance and prejudice, then educate yourself. With books, not random blogs on the Internet.

bigfrancis21:


You really thought that was my typo right? Well that was verbatim, which required a [sic].

slimmy05:
It happens when they are all out to look for faults rather than learn and make intelligle contribution devoid of the usual "ghetto" attitude of fronting.

bigfrancis21:

You really thought that was my typo right? Well, shame on you. That was reference verbatim, which required a [sic].

bigfrancis21:
[s][/s]

Still spitting further needless thrash, totally delving off-point and taking unsolicited pride in typing out wanton jargon when all I simply asked was, what are the meaning of these african american names?

You really strike me as totally incapable of simple grammar comprehension.

Let me go back to the beginning of all these and repeat my question again since you are sorely incapable of reading comprehension:



At this point, I would really expect that if you do not know the meaning to these names, you should really save yourself all that jargon and energy by simply keeping silent, and let the african americans themselves, the bearers of these names, answer the question. As a popular statement goes, rather keep silent than open your mouth and show the world your ignorance.

PS: And by the way, it utterly makes no sense sharing your own post when all you spat in it were total bunkum. You must be really out of your mind to think that you actually scored a point with all that off-point jargon you deposited.

MissMeiya:


Let me quote myself: "Did you even read what you copied and pasted?"

Do you see the word typo? Do you know what a typo is? Do you know what it means to copy and paste. Just accept that the site you quoted from is obviously flawed and unsubstantiated bullshít.

bigfrancis21:


Straight on point. Looking back on the thread, you'd wonder if her post and needless reply was warranted in the first place. As someone who loves knowledge, and foreign cultures, when I meet people of different cultures I am always curious to know what their names mean. My anxiety did not start today. I was as young as 6 or 7 years old when I started inquiring from my parents what my Igbo names meant which they told me. I don't remember asking them about the meaning of my English name, for I felt, as a child that I was then, that they wouldn't know, until we travelled to the village that year's christmas and I found an encyclopedia of names and their meanings in my uncle's room. I quickly searched for my name and found the the meaning there. I had been curious since as little as 6/7 years.

Coming to US and meeting African Americans, most seemed not to know what their names meant when asked, which prompted me to ask the question here on nairaland.

It's very easy to recognize fronting when you see it and her character is typically fronting.

MissMeiya:
When they start crossing things out instead of answering you, you know they've stopped reading. I wasted my words on you.


You think I shared my own post? Maybe that's what pathetic people like you do. I'll share my post right now and make that number 2.

bigfrancis21:


Quit making false statements. Lol. Click on the african names link, find your name there and read the meaning. That should confirm it's authenticity and cure your ignorance and strife.

bigfrancis21:


@bold...I think you wasted your words by typing out unwarranted speeches and bunkum when you could have simply gone straight to the point and given me the meanings of the names I asked for. You're totally a waste in person.

MissMeiya:
When they start crossing things out instead of answering you, you know they've stopped reading. I wasted my words on you.


You think I shared my own post? Maybe that's what pathetic people like you do. I'll share my post right now and make that number 2.

slimmy05:
Had similar experience. I once asked my dad the meaning of my surname as when I got into JSS1, I still couldnt find someone bearing that surname. He didn't give me a very convincing response and I didn't disturb him further because he was taken faraway Osun state to a seminary school quite young(11years).

I started researching the name and found out it was common in Abia state, but still wasn't able to get the meaning.

2009, I got a facebook mail from a dude who works in schlum, guess he was also curious. He bears thesame surname and also want to know its origin. He gave me a clue that it's actually "Osisi Akwari"- a giant tree.

Last month, a colleague who works at the head office emailed and asked me where am from and if I know the meaning of Akwari.

I am still yet to get the meaning.

MissMeiya:


I went straight to the point. As the multiple likes on my first post attest to. You were the only one who decided to get defensive and start talking bullshít.

bigfrancis21:


Some Igbo surnames are quite archaic which were given long long time ago by our forefathers who knew the meaning of those names. Igbo language, being dynamic, has really undergone some changes and some names/words of yore are no longer in use now, i.e 'mgboto'/'mgba' which refers to 'woman' or 'lady' as in 'mgba + eke'(mgbeke) - lady born on eke day. Feminine for Okeke (Oko + eke = male born on eke day). My mother's father's surname is quite archaic that even as a grown-up I could still not figure out what it meant for several days until I asked her and she told me. Quite archaic indeed.

Have you asked your grandfather or grandmother? I'm sure they would know their meaning.

MissMeiya:


I went straight to the point. As the multiple likes on my first post attest to. You were the only one who decided to get defensive and start talking bullshít.

MissMeiya:


I went straight to the point. As the multiple likes on my first post attest to. You were the only one who decided to get defensive and start talking bullshít.