Multiple award-winning author, Chimamanda Ngozi-Adichie, has revealed that she was not born with the name, Chimamanda; instead, she created it.

She noted that her parents did not christen her with the name. She said, “I made up the name, I invented the name Chimamanda. I created, Chimamanda; my parents did not name me Chimamanda. It is true. The reason I decided to talk about it is because they say that culture does not change. Do you know how many people in Igbo land that are called Chamamanda today?

“It happened shortly before my first novel was published. I was born Ngozi Grace; my mother is Grace. Growing up, I always felt that I was not Grace, that was my mother and Ngozi felt too common to me. In primary school, I was Ngozi.”

In an interview with Ebuka Obi-Uchendu for Bounce Radio Live, the prolific writer stated that she was born Ngozi Adichie but she changed her name after she was baptized.

“Being Catholic, one of the joys of Catholicism is that you get to choose a name when you get confirmed. I thought of a name I could choose but the priest said it had to be the name of a saint.

“People were choosing ridiculous names like Bernadette. I read a novel and there was a character called Amanda, so, I choose the name, Amanda. The priest said it was not a saint’s name but I told the father that it was the name I wanted.

“I pushed, so, they let me. I was Amanda at confirmation. I was Amanda from secondary school till my first year at the University at Nsukka when I was studying medicine,” the author said.

At the time she travelled to the United States of America, she said that the name Amanda did not seem unique to her anymore.

“Then, I went to the US. About a month into my time in the US, I was in class as an undergraduate and there were about five people with that name, Amanda. It was not unique anymore and the way it was pronounced put me off. I felt that was not me. I started thinking about how I could change the name; remember that I had already changed my name from Ngozi to Amanda.

“For a while, I will merge both. I will call myself, Amanda-Ngozi because I really wanted them to know that I am not Amanda (one of them). It was also a learning experience for me because what you think is cool in Nigeria, suddenly I thought, this is nonsense, wanting an English name,” she said.

The Half of a Yellow Sun writer said that she longed for an Igbo name shortly before her first novel was published and after much thought, the name came to her. Due to the fact that the name Amanda was on most of her document, she had to think deep of an Igbo name that had ‘Amanda’ in it, hence, the name Chimamanda came to fore.

“Just before my novel was published, I was thinking and I remember exactly where I was when it came to me. I am not a person who is given to this kind of Pentecostal talk but it felt like a revelation, it really did. I was in my brother’s house in England, in their tiny guestroom, lying on a narrow bed thinking about the fact that my novel is going to be published and I do not want to be introduced to the world as Amanda. I wanted an Igbo name but I did not want Ngozi because I did not feel like Ngozi; it felt too common. Ngozi, I think is a lovely name but it is so common and it did not feel like me.

“I remember just lying there and it just came to me, Chimamanda. By the way, when I was thinking of a name, I could have just picked an Igbo name but I wanted a name that had Amanda in it so that I would not have to change my passport. I already had this identity; I had a passport, driver’s license, bank account with that name. So, it was really about how I could hold on to that name but make it Igbo,” the novelist said.

https://punchng.com/my-parents-did-not-name-me-chimamanda-says-author-adichie/?amp=1

The apostle of feminism by force who thinks of men as women's enemies. I'm surprised she hasn't come out of the closet as a lesbian.

bukatyne:
Interesting.

So what does Chimamanda mean in Igbo?

My God will never fail

Whosoever says and believes that "culture does not change" is either naive or disingenuous. Culture is the way the living chooses to do their thing, not the way the dead did their thing. Lack of grit and greed, however, always make most people resort to the latter definition.

Interesting.

So what does Chimamanda mean in Igbo?

PharmaGirl:

My God will never fail

So so beautiful

So why is it not common?

bukatyne:
Interesting.

So what does Chimamanda mean in Igbo?

my God will not fail.

I love this lady

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”

The name has come to stay Chi girl.....

BeingFrank:
I believe one black guy has finally *hit* the right spot. Welcome back.

englishmart:
Go and marry. Leave feminism alone.

SHE is happily married to a very responsible and noble man.
Chimamanda is actually married to Dr. Ivara Esegee, a mixed-race medical doctor currently working in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States of America.

Guys.
We all learn everyday!

How we wish ALL Nairalanders can quote comments like this , explaining to other members what they don't know, with all respect and dignity, without insults.............but for where?!

My woman

Change is the only thing that is constant.

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She said, “I made up the name, I invented the name Chimamanda. I created, Chimamanda; my parents did not name me Chimamanda. It is true

This is duly noted Chimamanda.

The name has come to stay

You're doing well

Abeg check my signature

So wetin con consume us

This stupid idiot is only talented and famous because she pushes the woke liberal BS.

Of late Judas is employing Africans to push their Marxist bullsh!t.

Just look at BLM with their two black lesbian coordinators and you will understand why this foolish idiot is forced down our throats.

So what's our business here of what use is this information

G

People who have that opportunities now will give themselves foreign names that sound nice without knowing the meaning, they don't see the beauty in our native names. One child dedication I went to last week, the pikin 3 names na foreign names

some parents who named their child the name would have lied to there children that they got the name from their grand parents


alabi don jam them

ChimaWOMANda

All these feminists no go kill person.

Lol, my kind of person.

Reminds me of her story in The Thing Around Your neck, Headstrong Historian.

The protagonist didn't like the name Grace and so opted for Afamefuna.


That reminds me I still have not found a name for my confirmation.

How e concern us

Nah eh! No qualms
This is so sophisticated

Wetin concern us kwanu
So long as you are marking us proud globally
U are carried

I liked her book Americannah so much I became a fan
And her talk on Single Story was wonderful too

But Make she try dey calm down with all these feminist brouhaha

this woman sef, na one of my crush o, but her wahala don de too much..smh

Ok no problem.

Meanwhile, Acura TL 2001 tokunbo. Dvd player and touch screen. 1m today. 08062499398.