In the English dictionary, a name is described plainly as ‘a word or a combination of words by which a person, place, or thing, a body or class, or any object of thought is designated, called, or known’.

But in the Rwandan culture just like most cultures all over the world, almost every name has a unique story.

Baby naming is something that has for centuries been a ‘big deal’.

In Rwanda, it was an elaborate ceremony where food and drinks were served as friends and family gathered to suggest the new born’s name.

The power of a name is often felt in traditional sayings like ‘Izina niryo muntu” often used in either a positive or negative way based on your actions and loosely translated to mean "you are your name”.

Another such saying is "So ntakwanga, akwita nabi” loosely translated to mean that "your father cannot admit that he hates you, but the name he gives you says it all”.

But what really is in a name?

Traditional Inanga music instrument player, Deo Munyakazi told this publication in an interview that in the past, a child would be named based on many factors including the events surrounding the time the baby was born, the place or he/she could be named after a friend or a relative whose deeds were significant to the family.

"There were many reasons why a parent would choose a name and sometimes, it would be something as simple as their aspirations for the future or even as difficult as an event that left a mark on the family,” he said.

Details contained in the Rwanda Vital Statistics Report 2020 indicate that a total of 7,537children (3,542 boys and 3,995 girls) born last year were named ‘Irakoze’. Another 12,625 (7,190 boys and 5,435 girls) were named Ishimwe while 11,895 boys and girls were named Ineza, Igiraneza, and Uwineza.

Born in difficult times

Arlette Irakoze, a Senior Customer Experience Specialist says that she was given her second name (which means ‘Thank you Lord’) based on the circumstances surrounding how she came to be.

She told The New Times in a telephone interview that when her mother was pregnant with her, doctors advised her to terminate the pregnancy due to some life threatening complications.

"My father advised my mother to take the doctor’s advice and terminate the pregnancy but she refused. She basically spent the nine months shuffling between home and hospital to keep me and her alive,” she said.

Irakoze explains that when her mother was eight months pregnant, the genocide against the Tutsi started and the country was plunged into chaos.

Her family was forced to pay the neighbours lots of money to keep the expectant mother safe and in May 1994, at the height of the genocide, Irakoze was born.

She says that based on the circumstance in which she was carried and then later produced, her parents held her and promptly named her "Irakoze” in appreciation of what God had done.

41 year old Justine Niyonsenga, a fruits supplier, says that she named her daughter Ineza (as a reminder that there are still many good people in the world.

She says that the name was in tribute to a family that took her when she lost her husband who was the sole breadwinner four years ago.

"These are people that were friends from church and we were not very close but when they heard the difficulties I was going through, they supported me morally and financially until I got back on my feet,” she said.

Today, Niyonsenga is remarried and a new mother.

A dying tradition

Munyakazi says that though the value attached to names can still be felt in the Rwandan community, modern trends were now pushing more and more parents to choose names that sound ‘cool’ or ‘cute’

"That is why you will find more and more names are now shared by so many and are shorter and less powerful than they were in the past,” he said.

He explained that in the past, there were traditions attached to naming a child and the name would be discussed after the child was born.

"Today there are baby showers and at these, the child’s gender and name are unveiled. The old school way is fast being replaced by modernity and it is sad,” he said.

 How is it done elsewhere?

According to familyeducation.com, some families in Greece have to traditionally wait until the seventh or tenth day after the baby’s birth to name them. But traditionally, the eldest boy or girl in the family will be named after their paternal grandfather or grandmother, respectively. For second children and later, parents often look to other relatives for naming inspiration.

German restrictions

In Germany, there are some restrictions placed when naming a child in the interest of protecting the well-being of the children. Traditionally, German first names must be officially approved by the local office of the population register, and have to follow a few conditions which include not associated with evil or be insensitive to religion, not be an object, location, brand, or surname

If a neutral name is chosen, a second gender specific name must be added. Similarly, a boy’s name cannot be chosen for a girl or vice versa. 

Iceland restrictions and fees

It is up to the Iceland Naming Committee to decide whether or not the name you have chosen is acceptable. If the name the parents have decided on is not on the National Register of Persons, they can pay to apply for approval, and the name must pass a few tests including fitting grammatically within the Icelandic language, aligning with Icelandic traditions, being gender specific and only contain letters in the Icelandic alphabet.

West African day names

In West Africa, it is common for new-borns to be given special names based on the day on which they were born. Different ethnicities in Ghana and surrounding areas have different traditional names which are given to the baby based on the day they are born, with some flexibility.

The Yoruba people, who are mostly found in the South Western region of Nigeria, as well as Togo and the Republic of Benin are named by family elders. The child’s proud parents wait on names from the new grandparents and other significant family members, irrespective of whether they reside in Nigeria or the Diaspora. The names are publicly announced during a traditional or religious naming ceremony on the eighth day following the child’s birth