Continent Africa is a vast territory in which deserts and densely populated countries are concentrated. There are still preserved tribes living in the wild, which are adjacent to the peoples of modern megacities. People from Africa do not look like typical representatives of European countries: they have a different skin color, different beliefs, traditions, languages and dialects. And therefore African surnames and names are so unusual by ear.
How surnames are formed
According to the beliefs of the peoples of the Congo, a child becomes a person only after he is given a name. It can mean a lot: events preceding birth, day of birth, status, information about the family. For example, Ndimuban-zi says that his owner is surrounded by enemies. It is also known that names can change throughout a person’s life. This happens in one of the nations - the Bafuts. This is done so that evil spirits could not harm.
With surnames, the situation is different; they appeared among the peoples of Africa relatively recently, as a result of colonization. To conduct trade and interact with other nations, the inhabitants of the country needed documents. Accordingly, more identification is needed than just a name. In some educational institutions, African surnames are assigned to pupils or students after receiving a certificate of completion.
First names and surnames in African countries
In Morocco, a person receives a surname when he leaves his native village in a neighboring one. Until this time, he uses his name and the names of his parents (most often his father). If a person leaves far from his land, then his last name is formed by the name of the tribe, where he comes from. This is how male African surnames are formed.
In some countries of West Africa, the nickname of the ancestor is added to the name, followed by the name of the locality, hometown or village. In some cases, the personal name does not contain additions, but consists of several words.
House Names Features
The Haus people usually call children in honor of Islamic prophets. It is popular to give names of appeals. They contain information about the profession of parents, the physical qualities of the child. For example, the male name Afiri gets a baby born very small (premature). Ibrahim Dereba - means that his carrier works as a driver.
House does not happen that the surname is inherited or as a result of marriage. Women have their own name, to which only the title denotes marriage is added.
Popular first and last names
When using African surnames in Russian, some of them are inclined, but not all. For example, the last name of the public figure Yamaro Semoko is adamant.
The surname Traore is very common on the continent. In South Africa, many immigrants from other regions and countries. Therefore, there are Indian, European surnames, some are modified or reduced for convenience.
Popular names are those that designate the day a person was born, for example, Jumaan (born on Tuesday). Kwaku means the baby appeared Wednesday morning. Having given the son the name Oluceun , the parents thank God. From the name of the capital city, the popular female name Dakar is formed . There is a similar masculine, without the last vowel. Such beautiful female names as Naem, Abeni , which translate as "amazing", "long-awaited" , are also popular . And from the men’s, Saed , which means “happy,” and Eyo , “who brought joy.”
World famous
In 1960, for the first time in history, a black African won the Olympic Games. It was a participant in a marathon from Ethiopia. Ababa Bikilu recognized and remembered the whole world. The African received a gold medal, running a distance without shoes, which, as they say, did not even have money. Since then, Ababa Bikilu, all residents of the hot continent began to take as an example to follow.
Another famous African is the footballer from Cameroon Roger Mill . The participation of this legendary striker played a decisive role for the national team of his country in the world championship. Milla was recognized as the oldest player, he scored the ball in his 42. Other famous Cameroonian football players who played with him - Stefan Mbia, Andre Onan, Tom N'Cono.
South African writer John M. Coetzee (Cootsey) became a Nobel Prize winner in literature. He writes his works in English. Two Kutzee novels were awarded the Booker Prize.
The famous politician Rolilahla Mandela Nelson was also a Nobel laureate and was for several years the president of South Africa. He belonged to the people of the braid, and his name (Rolilahla) means "rebellious in spirit." In his country, the politician also had a clan name.
Today, women around the world began to call their sons the names of Cameroonian athletes. Residents of other countries are attracted by the amazing sound of African surnames. And exploring the meanings and interesting facts about their appearance, you can learn a lot about the history of the continent and its population.