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Searching for An African Name? This is the Book for You
I really could have used Askhari Johnson Hodari Ph.D's African Book of Names when I was choosing names for my three children. I knew I wanted African names for them and this handy volume would have definitely been a welcome addition to my library as a mom-to-be. I highly recommend it for any parents searching for the perfect name for their bundle of joy, and for anyone wanting to claim a meaningful African name for themselves.
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M. LaVora Perry, Author
www.mlavoraperry.com -
Bookgobbler
Posted July 1, 2009
What a helpful book for writers!
This is one of the most useful writers' resources I've found in a long time. Many writers thumb through baby name books to find meaningful and interesting monikers for their characters, but this is quite simply the best-organized one I've ever encountered.
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Unlike the vast majority of baby name books out there, THE AFRICAN BOOK OF NAMES is not just a straightforward list of names and meanings -- which, let's face it, is fairly readily available on the Internet, if you're looking for only common names -- but a thoughtfully-constructed examination of the significance of naming in various African and African-American cultures.
Of course, there are lists, too -- and such lists! Arranged by categories of meaning and pronunciation (invaluable for any writer who hasn't yet had the opportunity to travel much in Africa), the names are also presented by region of origin and circumstance under which a particular name might be applied. And we're not just talking about names that translate as Tulip or Fortunate here -- names like the Camaroonian name Pehtema (she has broken my heart with beauty), the Ugandan Katatta (little one who does not kill), and the Azanian Goband Lovu (one who bends elephants) abound in this book.
I'm recommending this book to every writer I know. It belongs on the shelf of any writer even considering including African or African-American characters in her work.