White culture influence on African American naming traditions

Posted on: October 24th, 2018\""by Elizabeth Henderson

Every community has a naming system that reflects its history and culture. A name is unique to the history, meaning, and culture of the community to which an individual belongs. The Africans who live in the African continent base their names on the natural factors including the events surrounding the birth of the baby, order of birth, time of birth, season, or emotional warnings. African Americans have had a long history that has greatly influences their naming system. When the Africans left the African continent for the Americas, they lost touch with their indigenous culture and developed a completely new culture. The new culture was because of their interaction with the white people in America. Part of the African culture that these people lost was the naming culture. As a result, they adopted new naming traditions. This article seeks to highlight some of the African-American names, their meanings, and their origins.

Latisha is a common name among the Africa-Americans. Even though this name is considered an indigenous Africa-American culture, it has its root in both Africa and French cultures. In the 1980s and 1970s, the Africa Americans began to create unique names for their children. This phenomenon was prompted by the desire to have names that reflected their roots and culture. Latisha is female name that means the “favorite”.

The name Jada originates from the Spanish word “Jade”. In Spanish, “Jade” is a rare gemstone that is found in the human stomach. The stone is also known to attract money and love. By giving the baby this name, the parent is wishing that the young one would grow to have lots of wealth and to enjoy much love from the community. Despite this name tracing its origin from the Spanish culture, it has been adopted by the Africa Americans as one of the popular names for the female babies.

Drake means male duck or the dragon. This is an old English name. However, the blacks in America have adopted this name for the male babies. Bold parents choose to give their young ones this name. The idea is to associate the baby with the magical powers of the dragon hence making them believe that they can reach any heights in life as long as they are willing to try.

Ava is a name that has its origin in the German culture. The name is also through to be a variation in the name Eve or a short form for the name “Chava” which means “life”. Ava could be a Latin word for “bird” which is “avis”. Whichever meaning one chooses, it is clear that this name means “the one full of life”. According to the biblical accounts, Eve is considered the mother of human race. Being the woman, she was the bearer of life. Hence, when a baby is given the name Ava, it is an indication that the baby will become fruitful in her life. Through her, many others will receive life in abundance. Many Africa American mothers seem to like the name and this is the reason why many girls in this community have it.

Mia is a name for the female babies among the Africa American community. The origin of this name is from the Italian culture. Mia is a shorter form of Maria. In the Italian culture, this name means “mine”. However, in the American culture this name means, “wished for child”. These two cultures seem to have the same meaning for the name, but which are worded differently. A “wished for child” is a baby that has been a long time coming. Therefore, the mother develops special love because of the pain of having to wait for so long to enjoy motherhood. When the baby finally comes, the mother must have a special attachment to her. She would call her “mine”. This name is especially appropriate for the women who have had to struggle with the pain of miscarriage of partial infertility. By giving this name to the baby, the woman would be expressing the joy of motherhood.

Deon means God. This name has both Greek and English origins. It is a unisex name. Despite the name having its roots in English and Greek cultures, it has become part of the Africa American naming system. The name Deon means God. A mother who considers giving this name to the baby should first understand the origin and meaning of this name. This is because of the major impact this name will have on the life of the baby as it grows. According to Greek mythology, Deon is the short form of Dionysius which was the god of wine. He was the son of Zeus and Semele. Dionysius was considered the god of wine because he had mastered the art of cultivating vineyard which produced very sweet wine. A baby who is named after this god would be expected to grow into a resourceful and enterprising adult. Whether the baby is a girl or a boy, the society will expect of them to be industrious.

Lamar is a boy’s name. It traces its origin back to Normandy in France. The name is derived from old French word “la mare” which means “the pool”. This name has been in the US since the 19th Century. This name has a strong attachment to the people who live near water bodies. For instance, “la mer” is the French word for sea. It is closely related to “la mare” and which could mean either “the pond” or “the pool”. Both words give a strong indication of a community that identifies with water. The meaning of the name makes it take a special position in the Africa American community. When a mother chooses to give her baby a name that means a mass of water, she may be inspired by the desire to see the baby grow up to be of great influence in the society. The sea takes away all the wastes from all over a locality. Similarly, a leader takes care of other peoples’ issues.

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Baby Names African-American
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