Dremca:
Is good to know you love your surname maybe because of the way it sound or the meaning but I pay more attention to meaning. There are funny Igbo names I can't give my children. Name like "Azuka" (back/backwardness is greater). It may sound nice to many but the meaning is awful. Same applies to names of other tribes.

Phut:
Christianity and Islam were used as a tool of imperialistic expansionism and we can see the result here.

Phut:

It’s a shame that you are intentionally misinterpreting Igbo names. Azuka never meant and will never mean that backwardness is greater. Azu in Azuka means the past. Azuka means the Past/History is great (and accordingly should be given great reverence). It’s almost like saying that you have to know your past to appreciate your present.
We are great because of our ancestors that came before us, from the 2nd to the 10th generation and beyond. A r. Let me ask you this? Do you think your ancestors are in hellfire? And do you think you are so much better than them and all that they represent (because a Whitman came with a new religion and told you so?)

Phut:

It’s a shame that you are intentionally misinterpreting Igbo names. Azuka never meant and will never mean that backwardness is greater. Azu in Azuka means the past. Azuka means the Past/History is great (and accordingly should be given great reverence). It’s almost like saying that you have to know your past to appreciate your present.
We are great because of our ancestors that came before us, from the 2nd to the 10th generation and beyond. A r. Let me ask you this? Do you think your ancestors are in hellfire? And do you think you are so much better than them and all that they represent (because a Whitman came with a new religion and told you so?)

Phut:
Christianity and Islam were used as a tool of imperialistic expansionism and we can see the result here.

Chommieblaq:


Thanks Sis, you nailed it with your post.

Don't lose your identity because one foreign name, you don't even know the origin.

Tochex101:

Your message is beautiful, cyrstal and clear. Onye nwere nti ya nuru........#those who have ears let them hear.

Phut:


Nweke is an absolutely beautiful name and you should not change it. It means child born of Eke day. If igbo’a had no concept of time and did not count the days, it would have been used against them as a sign of incivility. And here you are working over time to denigrate said culture. Just like Ghanaians name their child after days of the week: Kwame, Kojo, Akosua etc, is the same things Igbo’s do.
Nweke can never mean child of a python. Igbo names are not literal so trying to give them a literal translation is a deliberate miseducation of the masses. Also Igbo language is tonal. One word can mean several things depending on the tone in which it is said. A good example is, Akwa. So when we know what a name means metaphorically or in the context in which it was used, it is disingenuous to swap it out for similarly spelt but tonally different words.
When the colonialists came, one of the ways in which the suppressed our culture was by insisting that people be baptized with English or Latin names. The colonialists have physically left our shores but some of us are so brainwashed that we willing carry out the masters work with gusto and try to be more Western than the westerners.
What does Lawrence mean? Man from Laurent? And how is this a better meaning than Nweke?
If you are going to change your last name, change it to another traditional Igbo name. There are plenty of good Igbo names. If you choose an English name, it would be very clear what you are doing. In one or two generations (tops) your descendants through your doing, will probably be bearing English first and late names, and the Conquest would be complete!
When you live abroad and see people that have been stripped of their heritage, past and history and how bereft and rudderless they feel, it becomes all the sadder when you see Nigerians willing throw their away, for no good reason

Dremca:
I've really learnt one or two things here. Can you suggest a native name that relate to "Nweke" with a deep clear meaning.

Dremca:
Thanks for your input. Do you think having a native name in my names will make me loose my identity.

Dremca:
But I don't think you're a traditional worship as a way of not accepting the white men imperialism and also to preserve what our fore-fathers left behind. Having said that, do you think still having at least one native names in my name will make me loose sight of where am coming from, does it make much difference. I look forward to your kind response. I really appreciate.

Phut:

Yes having an English last name will contribute to you and your future generations losing you identity. You are voluntarily, watering yourself down. You previously said you have an Igbo name (which maybe your middle name for all I know. So you definitely have an English name (possibly your first name) and now you want an English last name as well? Biko, chegharia. Have a rethink and retrace your steps. All your names (first and last) should be in your native language. If your parents gave you an English first name, you should try to remedy that in your children as opposed to making it worse (giving them an English last names).

Between the First and Middle name, the first name takes predominance. So those Nigerians that move their native name to the status of a middle name, are just deceiving themselves. Of all the names, the last name is most tied to your heritage. Changing it to an English name bu aru (abomination). Did you know that when the slaves where brought to the America’s they were forcefully stripped of their name and their last name was made to denote whose slave they were? If you see a black American family with the last name of O’Neill, their slave owner was most likely Irish. Manigault = French. O’Malley = Irish. Stewart/Stuart = German.
There wa physical slavery and now there is mental slavery. Break free.

Biko, chegharia!

Dremca:
Wow. Thanks for this insight. You're very correct with my first name as english, middle name as native and wanting to make my surname english. What if I convert my middle name which is native to become my surname, then I'll be having only two names: first name to be english and surname to be native, no middle name. I really don't have problem with a bearing a native surname but the meaning of the "Nweke" which to doesn't have any origin and deep meaning aside "Nwoke amuri ubochi eke." Can I do without a middle name. Thanks so much, I'm very much grateful for your responses.

Phut:

Well you can do that - use your native name as your last name and keep you English first name (that is if you dislike Nweke so much)
However, a better alternative even would be using your current native name as a last name (that way your children answer it as their last name as well) then you pick another native first name for yourself.

Best of luck in everything you do, nwanne!

Dremca:
Is good to know you love your surname maybe because of the way it sound or the meaning but I pay more attention to meaning. There are funny Igbo names I can't give my children. Name like "Azuka" (back/backwardness is greater). It may sound nice to many but the meaning is awful. Same applies to names of other tribes.

Dremca:
I've decided to scrap "Nweke" and use my native name as my surname and keeping an english name as my first then probably adding another native name as my middle name. Just as I said from the begining, I want to read meaning to my names not an ancient name that has no clear definition as a surname. You're really one in a million and very grateful for your advice. I will simply say "AFAMEFUNA." Dalu!

Phut:

Yes, Afa yi efuna, my dear.
BTW; Yi is my Oguta dialect coming through. We say Yi and not Gi.
And it was my pleasure. Chi gozie!

somcherry:


Azuka actually means support is greater.
Giving someone a back can literally mean supporting someone.

Dremca:
Hmm, am learning but phut said Azuka means the past or history is greater. Could it be it can have 2 meanings. Thanks for contribution, am grateful.

somcherry:


Azuka actually means support is greater.
Giving someone a back can literally mean supporting someone.

Phut:


I beg to differ. Support is Nyem aka - Literally to give a helping hand. Azuka as in the case of the name means past/history. The opposite of Azuka is Nkeiruka (Nkeiru being the future). Let me call the erudite scholars to come expound on this matter

cc: Tochex101, Pazienza, Probz, Scholti, Dremca.

Phut:


I beg to differ. Support is Nye aka - Literally to give a helping hand. Azuka as in the case of the name means past/history. The opposite of Azuka is Nkeiruka (Nkeiru being the future). Let me call the erudite scholars to come expound on this matter

cc: Tochex101, Bigfrancis21.

somcherry:


Actually Azu doesn't directly or necessarily mean Support,
but in some context, laying on someone's back or giving someone a back can be translated to 'Support'

I translated Azu as back/Support, while yours seems to be Past/history

Support is greater is what I have always known Azuka to mean.

I am sure that there are other meaning,like the one you gave.

somcherry:


Actually Azu doesn't directly or necessarily mean Support,
but in some context, laying on someone's back or giving someone a back can be translated to 'Support'

I translated Azu as back/Support, while yours seems to be Past/history

Support is greater is what I have always known Azuka to mean.

I am sure that there are other meaning,like the one you gave.

Phut:


I beg to differ. Support is Nyem aka - Literally to give a helping hand. Azuka as in the case of the name means past/history. The opposite of Azuka is Nkeiruka (Nkeiru being the future). Let me call the erudite scholars to come expound on this matter

cc: Tochex101, Pazienza, Probz, Scholti, Dremca.

Probz:


Mhm. This one’s even out of my depth. Ndo.

Phut:


No problem. At least you tried.

pazienza:
Azuka means " Children are greater " or "descendants are greater ".

Azu in this context means those coming after you, those behind you, ie your children. Think of a chicken and her chicks all lined behind her, they are her "Azu".


Azuka = Children are greater.
Azuka ego = Children are greater than money
Azubuike = Children are strength
Azubogu = Children is fight , meaning one can only fight when one has children.
In the days of old, winning battles depend on numerical strength, which is decided by number of one's children and decendants.


Some had interpreted "Azu" to mean support, they are right in a way, since children provide support, but children do more than just support provision , so the interpretation of " Azu"as support, is not an encompassing one.

NB: I don't consider myself an erudite scholar Maybe I could become one, one day . The above description, however, was the explanation my now late grandfather gave to me, when I asked him of the meaning of the name "Azuka".

I also understand that same name might hold different interpretations, depending on part of Igboland one is from. This reality might also apply here.

pazienza:
Azuka means " Children are greater " or "descendants are greater ".

Azu in this context means those coming after you, those behind you, ie your children. Think of a chicken and her chicks all lined behind her, they are her "Azu".


Azuka = Children are greater.
Azuka ego = Children are greater than money
Azubuike = Children are strength
Azubogu = Children is fight , meaning one can only fight when one has children.
In the days of old, winning battles depend on numerical strength, which is decided by number of one's children and decendants.


Some had interpreted "Azu" to mean support, they are right in a way, since children provide support, but children do more than just support provision , so the interpretation of " Azu"as support, is not an encompassing one.

NB: I don't consider myself an erudite scholar Maybe I could become one, one day . The above description, however, was the explanation my now late grandfather gave to me, when I asked him of the meaning of the name "Azuka".

I also understand that same name might hold different interpretations, depending on part of Igboland one is from. This reality might also apply here.