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Definitely NOT AfricanDefinitely NOT African
Sometimes parents give their children certain names because they think they are cute or are politically correct but, forget that the child will have to carry those names for the rest of their lives, unless they choose to change their birth given names.
While foreign names are known and respected as such, because the countries from which those names are from usually have specific meanings from which those names are coined, some of the names in some communities today do not add any credit to their benefactors, and are simply made up by parents who choose to name their children based on their current feelings, without much thought as to the recipients.
Almost all of those strange -sha, -qua and -ta ending names (except for probably Aisha) that some African-Americans name their children, claiming they are African names are definitely NOT African names.
It's actually offensive to Africans when people claim to have gotten names they obviously made up from Africa. No Africans are named LaQuisha, Taquisha, Shaniqua, etc., and there are definitely no Laquitas, Maquitas, Shaniquas, etc. Nigeria. African names all have significant meanings.
Unlike in Ghana where (as mentioned in this article www.wsbtv.com/education/4482169/detail.html ) children receive one of only seven boys' or girls' names, depending on the day of the week they were born; in Nigeria children's names vary widely and all have meanings based on the situation surrounding the child's birth. Their names may include names in honour of others or past relatives.
People should think of their children's future before they give their children strange names that may significantly affect and/or impede their future.
Cxsm
7th Aug. '07
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