The Name Game

Names in Ghana are incredibly important. I recently attended a naming ceremony for my boss's new daughter. It was a lovely affair and the little one received three beautiful, and meaningful, names, one of which is after a Canadian colleague. It's not uncommon for children to have multiple given names here and over their years many children will adopt nicknames that become the name they are known by. 

I've had my fair share of interesting conversations about names. Here's a sampling...

On adopted names….

Abortion. 

I met Abortion while walking through Kejetia station. He asked me to take his picture, and as I lifted my camera I asked him to repeat his name again; I wasn't sure I had heard it right. 

"Abortion!" He shouted. As he struck a pose he added "Thug life!" And I felt like it was my own real life HONY moment. 

Febreeze. 

I met Febreeze at Kejetia station as well. He was helping me find a vendor and told me his name, several times, to make sure I understood it. "It's french" he insisted. I didn't argue. 

Moose. 

I met Moose as he drove past me on the street in Sandema. He rolled down his window and beckoned me over to say hello. I leerily hung back, until I saw he was only eager to introduce me to his white colleague. After she and I chatted for a couple minutes about our work Moose introduced himself again, said 'see ya around', and drove away.

On given names… 

Brittany. 

My name seems pretty normal to me but, here in Ghana, it's impossible. Nobody can pronounce it, and I get all kinds of variations of my name. This week I was stopped by the police on the street, and after a few minutes of questions one of the officers asked my name. After working through the pronunciation several times I told him he was 'close enough' and in turn he asked the meaning of my name. 

"It means from out of Britain." I told him. And he shook his head in disgust. 

"No. No. What is the real meaning of your name?" he asked. I told him again what it means and he grimaced. "Your parents gave you that name? With that meaning? Your Father and your Mother selected that name?" he said accusingly. 

"Yes, but I have a second name." I said. And suddenly the tension dissipated. "It means 'bearer of good news'" I added. 

He smiled, asked me where I was headed, and told me I could leave. 

As I biked away I laughed at how strangely cultural names are. And how it's possible given names, and adopted names, are things I won't fully understand here for a long time.