The Age of Creative Baby Names – What’s in a Name?

The 2000s have to be the only period in all history when parents have been at their naughtiest when it comes to baby names. I doubt it very much that a mom would have named her baby North, Egypt or Blue Ivy some ten, twenty years ago. But today? Well today nothing is impossible at all.

And this isn’t just a Hollywood mom trend you know. Even your ordinary everyday mom seems to have decided that giving her child the funkiest name possible is the way to go. I even like how Shona Zimbabwean moms are loving the whole aspect of giving their children Shona names.

There was a time when it seemed uncool to give your child a native name, but now it looks like it’s the in thing. But here is the catch; they aren’t just giving them the usual Shona names we are all used to like ‘Farai, Gamu’ and the like. You would think it’s a competition to see which mom can outthink the other. Now we are hearing of interesting word combinations that become even more interesting names.

I think this is a great move from when people seemed to just go “ini mini mynie mo she shall be called this”. No offence but moms from back in the day had no inspiring names at all. There was even a time when one would get a name that spoke of what was going on when the child was born – hence such names as Netsai, Taurai, Shupikai, Muchazviona, Muchaneta, Maidei… I mean; what a burden to give a child a name with such heavy meaning.
Those names were as uninspiring as they were heartbreaking. A child was left to wonder if perhaps she was the cause for her mother’s suffering. And it being their name, they carried that name till death – that was just unfair.

What’s in a name? Well a lot including pride and identity of whom one is. And I am just glad that Shona moms of today seem to have realized that and if I could have a say, I would definitely vote their names today as some of the best in the world! Who wouldn’t love Ngaatendwe, Namatai, Ngaarumbidzwe, Tarumbidza and the whole list that mostly give praise to God for such bundles of joy?

Or maybe it’s just my biological clock ticking?