HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Names like Have-A-Look, Handsome, Thanks, Trust, Privilege, Doubt, Problem, and Shame aren’t merely words in Zimbabwe. Parents select these names purposefully in a society where choosing what to call a child extends far beyond simple identification and can provide insight into family stories, feelings, and situations.
Initially, Privilege Mubani, a 37-year-old bar manager in Harare, the capital city, hadn’t considered the significance of her name much.
However, when she matured, she questioned her father about her name’s meaning. His response revealed a tale she had never envisioned, one containing stigma, strength, and surprising happiness.
Her mother had conceived while unmarried. In their traditional society where unwed motherhood faces disapproval, she had abandoned hopes of marriage.
But then a man appeared who married her despite the social stigma, making her mother feel vindicated.
“People had been laughing at her. She was being mocked for having a ‘fatherless’ child. Naming me Privilege was her own expression of gratitude,” she said with a grin.
The country’s preference for English names demonstrates its past as a British colony and its predominantly Christian population. English continues as an official language and the primary one used in education and government.
However, this custom extends beyond colonial influence.
In this southern African country, names frequently serve as brief stories of happiness, sorrow, belief, struggle, or strength during a child’s birth, explained David Chikwaza, a decolonization researcher at Dublin City University’s School of History and Geography in Ireland.
“It is an echo of pre-colonial naming traditions. Zimbabweans, and Africans in general, are very spiritual and the naming of a child always carried deep symbolism,” Chikwaza said. “Parents would name their child as a way of addressing a societal or a personal issue. Colonialism promoted English as a language of sophistication, so Africans simply turned to the English vocabulary for expression, but the meanings remain the same.”
This creates a naming system that frequently captivates people from other countries.
When Zimbabwe’s national soccer team played in January’s African Cup of Nations tournament, their remarkable player names caught public attention and became popular on social media.
“I have never seen a team with cooler names. I am hearing the commentator say these names and I am like, there’s no way these are real,” one TikTok user said, reacting to players named Teenage, Godknows, Divine, Marvellous, Knowledge, Prince and Prosper.
This uniqueness also becomes material for humor.
Learnmore Jonasi, who reached the finals of “America’s Got Talent” in 2024, frequently gets laughs from American audiences by joking about his name and others from his homeland.
Names like Givemore, Best, Promise, Guarantee, Anxious, Innocent, Confidence and Hardlife are among many that might seem unusual elsewhere, but appear normal in Zimbabwe.
Many people view their names with pride and even as goals to achieve.
Consider Lovejoy Mutongwiza, a 33-year-old journalist and chief executive of 263chat, an online news outlet. He views his name as a reason to celebrate.
“My mum and dad said they were madly in love and in a happy place in their lives when they conceived me, so they aptly named me Lovejoy,” he said. “It’s a befitting name. I think I have lived up to it because I am rarely angry. I am naturally a bubbly person.”
Some people accept names that others might consider negative.
Shame Chikwana said he has never felt troubled by his name and rejected his sister’s suggestions to choose a more typical name as an adult.
“I would never trade it for any other name. I was named after my late grandfather so it’s a heritage I am carrying,” said the 51-year-old, adding that his parents refused to divulge why his grandfather was given the name.
“I hope it stays within the family for generations to come,” he said.
