Why do African Americans have British names?
Just as European immigrants' names would later be changed by officials at Ellis Island, Africans brought to the U.S. as slaves were generally stripped of their names and given the surname of their oppressor. These were often English names but could also be from other European countries.
A century-and-a-half after the end of slavery and I’m still identifying with the name of the slave-owner who once owned my family. That’s my house. Their house. That sucks. That’s a bone deep pain, one hidden and held in the letters of my last name. And after I posted my response tweet to Ava, that pain of slavery got me thinking of one question.
What if Black Americans ditched our slaves names? What if we cut that psychic chain that binds us to slavery in name and deed?
Malcolm X: “During slavery, the same slave master who owned us put his last name on us to denote that we were his property. So when you see a negro today who’s named Johnson, if you go back in his history you will find that his grandfather, or one of his forefathers, was owned by a white man who was named Johnson. If his name was Bunch, his grandfather was owned by a white man that was named Bunch.”
Interviewer: “I get your point. Would you mind telling me what your father’s name was?”
Malcolm X: “My father didn’t know his last name. My father got his last name from his grandfather, and his grandfather got it from his grandfather, who got it from the slave master. The real names of our people were destroyed during slavery.”
Think about that. No, for real. Think about that. If you aren’t black, you may have never considered what it means to walk around carrying the mark of your family’s slave master. If you think about it too much and too deeply and it’ll fuck you up. That’s probably why many, if not most, Black Americans never think about it. Not really. It’s just too dark and too visceral and too real to consciously remember that every day when you put your name on something you’re extending the reach of your former slave master.
Every time a black athlete is celebrated––unless it’s someone supremely woke like Muhammad Ali or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or even Metta World Peace, who consciously changed their name to suit themselves––that world famous athlete makes their family’s former slave master more famous. Same for every black CEO, every actress or actor, every black politician, and every black activist. When their name shows up in the press they honor and extend their family’s former slave master’s memory. That’s fucked up. Which is why Muhammad Ali said this of his birth name:
“Cassius Clay is a slave name. I didn’t choose it and I don’t want it. I am Muhammad Ali, a free name — it means beloved of God, and I insist people use it when people speak to me.”
Most white people in America have never considered what it means to walk around with the name of the family that once owned your family. Just imagine if all Black America changed their names on the same day.
The name Taraji is a unisex name of Swahili origin that means "hope" and "faith". It's commonly used in Eastern African cultures, especially among Swahili-speaking communities. The name is passed down through generations and is celebrated globally.
The name Ashanti has multiple meanings, including "gratitude," "thank you," and "warlike":
Gratitude: The name Ashanti is a girl's name of Ghanaian origin that means "gratitude".
Thank you: The name Ashanti is derived from the Swahili word asante, which means "thank you".
Warlike: The name Ashanti is also said to mean "warlike".
Meaning of Afẹ́ni
One who loves another.
The name Chiwetel means "God brings" in Igbo.
The name "Olubowale" is a combination of the Yoruba names "Olú" and "wale" and could mean "My God/Lord has come home":
OlúA popular name among the Yoruba ethnic group, "Olú" is a diminutive of "Olúwa" and can mean "God," "deity," or "lord". In some parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, the word "Olú" is even used as a royal or noble title.
WaleThe name "wale" is associated with the Yoruba people, who primarily live in southwestern Nigeria and parts of Benin and Togo.
