This archive report was first published on 25 August 2019.
Kenya's traditional naming system has undergone significant changes since independence in 1963. According to Mzee Mathenge Iregi's records, women contributors had interesting names such as Wanjiru w/o Kamau, indicating that women were proud of their husbands or more subdued.
Today, names like Mrs or a hyphen like Jane Onyango-Kamau are common. This shift might reflect changing values and attitudes or the success of westernisation. Easternization is still nascent, with little cultural absorption from China.
Some name patterns have emerged since uhuru. One is the use of foreign names, which are often localized. For example, Willkister, Beryl, Pamela, Wycliffe, Chrisantus are common in western Kenya, while Truphosa, Truphena, Duke, and Justus are more common in southwestern Kenya.
Another trend is giving kids two Christian or foreign names, such as Ghael James or Jane Catherine, which may reflect women's power and equality. Men used to be the deciders in kids' names, but now women have a say, and to ensure equality, the kid is given two foreign names, one from each parent.
Keen observers will note this trend is a revival of the pre-independence practice of giving kids even three foreign names, like James Bob Aggrey. The second trend is giving the kid all foreign names, ostensibly to hide tribal identity, but this is a sign of sophistication.
The third trend is giving names that have both Swahili and English translations, such as Mercy Neema or Victory Ushindi. This group is more hybrid, torn between old and new names, old versus new identity. The fourth trend is keeping traditional names like Uhuru Kenyatta or Kioko Mutua, often by the affluent.
Old foreign names are becoming localized, such as Musuruve among Luhyia, originally Miss Reeves. The sixth trend is peculiar and reserved for central Kenya, where kids take their mother's name as a surname, like Kamau Wanjiru or Njeri Wairimu.
These trends show that Kenyans have no qualms diluting their identity. If this trend continues, lots of beautiful African names will become extinct, like Yattani, Naserian, Nyatichi, Wawuda, Adhiambo, Kamau, Lelelit, and more.
It's not just names that risk extinction but also our culture and mannerism. We are nowadays more concerned about appearances and shy away from serious issues. This trend shows the Kenyan mind has been
