Get inspired: Name your child right

Are there times when one pronounces their names and you go like wh...a...a..a...t? I mean, they awaken your inquisitiveness as to what his or her parents were thinking at that time. Yes, infact, that very moment that drives you to reflect on the hundreds of books that have been written with the title “what’s in a name?” Ok, by now many of you are thinking….yeah…right... we’ve heard that question before…and to most of us, it is just what we know, “a label for a noun (place, human, animal…). Well…it happened last weekend when I met my neigbour’s son Jean Claude Nzamulerericyoimanayamumpereye at one of the shops in my homestead. As I engaged in a childish conversation with him, I got seriously perturbed by the difficulty with which he pronounced his sir name. For sure, why would a couple of caring and loving parents give such a 30 lettered surname to an innocent child? This punishment would even be so heavy for a criminal. In this beloved country of mine, we tend to relate each and everything to the glory of God and do not get me wrong, this is good but must we go an extra mile to ensure that a whole prayer will continue to be pronounced and written on all the books and documents of our offsprings? If I may borrow William Shakespeare’s (you’ve heard of him, right?) quote, “That which we call a rose, by any other name would remain as sweet.” My interpretation is actually very simple that even if I gave my child a simple name that he/she would be proud of, the fact that I will still raise this child for the purpose of serving God would be achieved anyway. In other words, that line implies that words don’t mean much... you can still smell a rose and appreciate its beauty even if you called a particular rose “axle grease” instead. The meaning of the long given name like Nzamulerericyoimanayamumpereye (i will raise him for god’s purpose) will not even automatically mould this child as the meaning suggests because a child will still act as raised. In relation to such lengthy and complicated surnames, I managed to ask a few people about how comfortable they would feel if given such names. Fidele Nzamwita, a business man in Kimironko disagreed that no matter how long the name could be, he will always name his children in relation to how he feels at the time the child is born. “My three children, Ndayisenga, Niyogisubizo and Niyitegeka were named according to particular situations that we went through at a certain time while my wife was pregnant or even at birth. Each name is attached to a special memory and I believe they are not that lengthy and have good meanings too,” he said with a smile. Another employee at Union Trading Centre (UTC), Rita Uwizera, however notes that it is better to give a child short names such as Manzi, Shema, Mwiza, Teta as they are easier to pronounce and may carry the same meaning as the common lengthy ones. A few friends simply laugh it off adding that it does not really matter just as long as one has a name. When choosing a name, it is important to note a few things. Keep it short if you do not mind since many long names may turn your child into a laughing stock at school thus increasing chances of lowering their self esteem. virenam@gmail.com