What’s in a name?

It was veteran journalist, Muyiwa Adetiba who said to me many years ago, that “once you have an idea, a million other people worldwide also have the same idea simultaneously’’. According to him, the patent of that idea goes eventually to the first man to publicise his idea. Then the others gnash their teeth for procrastination, lack of funds, lack of drive or just plain laziness.

This happened when Sonala Olumhense did a beautiful article on names like one I have been nursing for two years in an edition of a now retired magazine Crown Prince. Its either I write it and never complete it or something happens and I never get round to it. I had started this actually sometime in 1986 after I had carefully observed signposts of business premises salons, gift shops, eateries, etceteras. I wondered then, what guided names of such ventures. It was either Titisco Hairdressing Salon or Kousmous Enterprises.

I had found it a bit unsettling because some of the names were not attractive and some were plain ridiculous. I have always thought that such names ought to attract.

Usually, owners of such ventures attempt to combine names of wives, girlfriends, or children to form a conglomerate of letters, sometimes unpronounceable. Of course  there are smart businessmen whose company names are either borrowed from some far away country, or names of things dear to them which are attractive e.g. Scandal – the doorway to good eating, Carnival, Farida etc. 

What about names of persons?

In all parts of Nigeria, naming a child is a big deal. This is because we believe the meanings of names will plague the children forever. Nigerians are careful not to give certain connotative names to their children like “people must criticise”, “this is war” etc.

Most Nigerian names are in fact sentences, which are cut short for convenience.

I have been intrigued by names of some of my Tiv friends. For example an old schoolmate of mine was called Bem, his surname was Sen. We called him Bensen but his names actually meant peace (for Bem), descends (for Sen). There must be several like that but like Olumhense observed in his article, people metamorphose over the years along with their names. Maybe she was called Bose in Secondary school, when you meet her in the University she becomes Salamatu. The boys carry their guy names along. “Spark”, “Chik”, “Luka”, “Mapaccall”. Sometimes it is embarrassing for them when in the middle of the market, a friend shouts “Mapacall” meanwhile they are trying to put the name behind them because they are now Chief Executives or Senior Officers somewhere.

I do not know why but my mother believed that people should look like their names and I think that has affected me a little.

Sometime in 1988, the Association of Nigerian Authors’ annual convention was held in Makurdi. I was thrilled. I got to the convention hall dying to meet most Nigerian artistes. Then I was introduced to Okinba Launko a.k.a Femi Osofisan. This is the conversation that ensued.

Me: Its my pleasure meeting you.

Osofisan: Very nice to meet you. Do you write?

Me: Yes, I do. Pardon me if I say so but I was expecting you to be taller.

He was quite amused by it all. But this happens to us all, especially writers. You read a piece and believe in your imagination that a man who is capable of weaving all this together must be a huge person. Then you meet him/her, and they are not huge.

Which brings one to bylines in papers. Most people look out for names of the writers and over the years get used to it. So you have read Mohammed Haruna or Ekerete Udo. Are there two of them? Sometimes it happens. Two journalists bearing the same names and working for different media houses, this can be confusing.

This was why I was getting Sully Abu’s mails. Some people have come over to me believing that Sully is my pen name. Others want to know why I commented on an issue in a particular way when I actually did not write such an article.

But then what is in a name? Eugenia or Sully we are both Abus. Or next time I shall tell them I am   your sister – what do you think?

For names maketh a man, though Shakespeare says “A rose will still smell as sweet whatever name it bears”.

In Nigeria, names make a difference. The infamous Anini would find it tough to have a namesake these days because of his notorious exploits while alive. For as a cultural nation, many believe if a child is named after him, he will probably steal or become notorious.

The same logic allows Nigerians to drop names easily and impersonate. If a man wants a favour now in a town far removed from the seat of power, he suddenly becomes the President’s cousin and his surname rings loud and clear. There may be a lot of persons naming their children Babangida or Buhari as these are popular names.

This article was written in the early 90’s.

Eugenia Abu