Shift in Igbo Personal Naming Patterns

Bibliographic Data

ID5900465
AuthorsEunice Kingsley Ukaegbu (0009-0005-6615-9799), Bassey Andian Okon
Year2024
Volume9
Issue10
Pages312
Publication date2024-09-27
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLanguages (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2226-471X • E-ISSN: 2226-471X
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/languages9100312
OpenAlexW4402900613
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited9

Some African societies use personal names as a means of conveying their cultural values, traditions, and experiences. Personal names are therefore an important means of identifying their bearers. However, in recent times, it has been observed that the practice of identity construction does not seem to apply in the naming patterns of some African societies. Among the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria, there has been a shift in the contemporary naming of children as a result of greater media access, global communication, creativity, and the rising profile of Pentecostal Christianity. This study investigates the new trends in naming among the Igbo, as well as the motivations, semantic implications, and the general perception of these names by the Igbo people. Using the causal theory of names, this study adopts a qualitative design approach, and data were elicited from 100 participants who were mainly name-givers, bearers, and users. This study reveals a decline in the observance of the traditional naming patterns or practices of the Igbo, as it was noted that the new naming trend is related to favorableness toward Western culture, religion, and influence, which is seen as a form of style that connects name-bearers with prestige and modernity

Igbo · Linguistics · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Multilingual Education and Policy · Names, Identity, and Discrimination Research · Psychology · Philosophy

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