Stats: 3,188,756 members, 7,935,244 topics. Date: Friday, 30 August 2024 at 03:57 AM |
Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Education / How Nigerians Got English Surnames (7038 Views)
How Nigerians Spend N1.4bn Daily On Sport Beting / See How Nigerians Pronounce Words According To Ghanians / 150 Unique And Most Common African Last Names (surnames) (2) (3) (4)
How Nigerians Got English Surnames by njuwo(m): 10:53am On Mar 29, 2015 |
An Islamic cleric told me of how he got his English surname ‘Jackson’, even though it wasn’t his original surname. I wanted to know if the Islamic cleric is from Lagos state, or was it the popular ‘was your fore- father a slave / did your forefathers convert to Christianity and change their name’….., fairly tales or something entirely different. This is what the Alhaji said. He was born sometime in the late 1940s, as Jamiu Adewale, with Adewale as his surname. He so much wanted to get an education, and so came over to Lagos to live with some relatives. He finished his primary school at an Islamic primary education school in Lagos state and decided to look for a job, etc. By the time Nigeria got its independence he was almost 20 years old and had completed educational requirements equivalent to ‘secondary school’ education. He nursed a desire to go to Britain, and work. Simply called ‘Britain’ then, it was ‘the place to go’. And if one just went to Britain for just one week, it was ‘a change of levels’ as far as social status and exposure was concerned. According to Jamiu, jobs in Britain were usually advertised at the British port in Lagos state, and anyone with enough basic education who was interested could just go there, fill a form and wait. Besides, preference was given to youths who ‘read more than primary-6’. By and by, he filled up an application form and waited. According to Jamiu, ships that take workers to and fro came only in September of every year, so he had to wait until the next September to see if he would be going anywhere. A major requirement however was finance: each traveller had to have some money(the amount, usually published at the British port) to last them for an initial 2-weeks while they settled down in Britain. Mr. Jamiu says the journey itself was free. Soon, he got information that he had been selected and should get himself ready for travel by the next September. When the d-day dawned, he gathered all his savings, proceeded to the port with all the documents he had. The port officer looked at his documents, counted all the money he had with him, gave it back and told him to keep it safe in his pockets. The port officer could not pronounce the Jamiu part of his long Yoruba name, besides he also had a middle name, besides his surname – so he (port officer) just crossed as much as possible out and wrote ‘Jackson’ instead. Jamiu said he protested, but the officer just waved him off, told him to go board the ship, while he started attending to someone else. That’s how Jamiu was changed to Jackson. Watch Out For Part 2 www.njuwo.com/2015/03/how-nigerians-got-english-surnames-part.html?m=1 Culled from my blog http://njuwo.com 1 Like |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by njuwo(m): 11:12am On Mar 29, 2015 |
On the ship, Jackson met other Nigerians, made friends and a couple of them who weren’t first time travellers helped the newbies to settle down in Britain. At his place of work in Britain, Jackson said he protested again that his name was wrongly written, and he wanted to be called Jamiu instead of Jackson, but he was referred to whatever ‘correction’ had been made in the documents – as final. Jackson said he met other ‘blacks’ who all bore English surnames like ‘Bingo, John, Robinson, Johnson, Jack, Peters, Peterson, James, Jackson(the most popular), etc’, who were from Nigeria and different parts of Africa. Jackson said he could identify Nigerians only after listening to who spoke / couldn’t speak local Nigerian languages. These ‘blacks’, after exchanging notes discovered their names have been changed: wrongly written, mis-spelt, corrected, etc., by port officers wherever they were coming from – and turned into English names because Oyinbo man could not pronounce whatever local names they originally had. In fact, Jackson said “the oyinbo man would just look at all your names, and perhaps think of one English name similar to any of your Nigerian names – and immediately make corrections(with the new correction as your surname) without your approval”. After a year and half of work, Jackson’s boss called him and a few other blacks and gave them a promotion, informing them that they were ‘intelligent’. They were told they must begin evening school – which is to be a condition for their continued employment. This was to be at the expense of the company(a television assembly company) they were working for in Britain. Jackson said the company was very strict, their bosses even checked their notebooks and asked information from school authorities to make sure everyone was studying, and not just playing-school. Jackson remembers at least eight to ten other Jacksons in his own class, and there would always be an argument with teachers and students, as each person demand to be called his own name instead. They had to sort out the Jackson issue by numbering themselves Jackson-1, 2, 3… Three years soon passed and he finished his University education(Engineering). All the while, Jackson said he hoped whenever he returned to Nigeria, he would throw away his Jackson name and assume his correct name. Unfortunately, when he graduated and was to return, all the documents he got from school, place of work, travel papers etc, all bore the name Adewale Jackson, where Jackson was the surname part. At the time he graduated, his company had opened an office in Nigeria, and so he was given a transfer. When he got to Nigeria, he said he applied for name change, etc., but that all the letters he wrote back to his school through the British port were never replied. Nigerian authorities also refused to change his name. Watch Out For Part 3 www.njuwo.com/2015/03/how-nigerians-got-english-surnames-part_29.html?m=1 Culled from my blog http://njuwo.com |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by njuwo(m): 11:29am On Mar 29, 2015 |
About three years later, he was to go to America for a Masters degree. He again traveled as Adewale Jackson. In America, he met and married an Oyinbo woman and had to give his children a surname. As he could not give them a surname different from the one on his travel papers, he had to leave the name-change issue alone. That’s how the Jackson name stuck. Alhaji Jackson lives in Nigeria with his family. His children are all grown ups and have their own families. www.njuwo.com/2015/03/how-nigerians-got-english-surnames-part_34.html?m=1 Culled from my blog http://njuwo.com Visit my blog http://njuwo.com for more Nigerian revealing stories like this one you have just read, thank you. |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by njuwo(m): 11:31am On Mar 29, 2015 |
lalasticlala, Seun, Ishilove, Obinoscopy, Mynd44 i think this is worth the front page. 1 Like |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by ukgreat(m): 11:41am On Mar 29, 2015 |
Love my name....Richard Benson 1 Like 1 Share |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by njuwo(m): 11:43am On Mar 29, 2015 |
ukgreat:Hmm! How did you get it? |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by chibyksveejay(m): 1:05pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
My friend answer Daniel David. Another is George favour |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by martyns303(m): 2:07pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
My first and last name is so English that whenever I go for an appointment they always ask which is my first name and which is my last name. I school in the UK. My village bears an English name, and 96% of the population bears the name as their surname. |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by ukgreat(m): 2:12pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
njuwo:my name is richard my dads name benson....we bear our dads first name as our surname THE BENSONS |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by Nobody: 2:39pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
I can proudly say I am one of few guys born and raised up North with English names. My surname is Plantain and my first name is Fried, so my friends call me FriedPlantain. ![]() 3 Likes 1 Share |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by Vince77(m): 2:44pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
Wow.... nice story. |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by Vince77(m): 2:45pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
ukgreat:ur own good o! My ancestors name is still my surname. I don tire for d name sef. |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by brightlomo(m): 3:11pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
Buy your mtn data bundle at lowest price. *1Gb.... #1,150 *2Gb....#2,300 *3Gb....#3,450 Call or message this number for instant delivery. 08060396376. 07034955151 Your can also whatsapp this no. 08060396376. Thank you. |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by Ucheosefoh(m): 3:34pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
I am proud of my Igbo surname, english surnames is for people with no regard for their heritage. No tribe in Nigeria have english surnames it is adopted names most especially niger delta people 1 Like |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by clefstone(m): 5:16pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
So Michael Jackson was Yoruba ![]() 3 Likes |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by njuwo(m): 5:33pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
chibyksveejay:Do you know how they got their English surnames? |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by njuwo(m): 5:34pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
martyns303:This is surprising! Which village are you from? |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by njuwo(m): 5:35pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
ukgreat:THE BENSONS. Sweet for a TV show. |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by njuwo(m): 5:38pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
FriedPlantain:Here in Warri, we call you Idodo. Are you a brother to CookedPlantain? 1 Like |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by njuwo(m): 5:41pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
Vince77:You have an English surname? |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by njuwo(m): 5:42pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
Vince77:Is the name too heavy to pronounce? |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by njuwo(m): 5:45pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
brightlomo:Honourable, is like you miss road. This is not 51 Iweka Road Onitsha. |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by Vince77(m): 5:46pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
njuwo:noooo... The name has just three letters o! 1 Like |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by njuwo(m): 5:46pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
Ucheosefoh:How did you know it is most especially Niger Delta people that bears English surnames? |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by njuwo(m): 5:48pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
clefstone:Micheal Jackson was Yoruba? |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by njuwo(m): 5:49pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
Vince77:Is the spelling hard? |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by Nobody: 6:00pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
njuwo:who is CookedPlantain? ![]() |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by martyns303(m): 6:14pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
njuwo: Harry's Town, that's where late Marshall Harry is from. As you can see he bears the surname too. |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by Gudiza(m): 6:24pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
njuwo: Where else in Nigeria can someone bear James Manager? or, is this on another level? |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by Mickop(m): 6:24pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
cool. i'm Richard Michael. but still use my tribal name #Oluwatosin |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by Ucheosefoh(m): 6:36pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
njuwo:Check some of their surnames especially Bayesla people |
Re: How Nigerians Got English Surnames by blessedvisky(m): 6:36pm On Mar 29, 2015 |
ok |
Historically Disturbing Pictures / Author Of Secondary School Physics P.N Okeke Turns 78 / Why Wasn't JAMB Written In The Year 1996?
(Go Up)
Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 42 |