In no particular order, some boys and girls names we come across with varying frequency:
Boys Girls
MacDonald Moederkie
Innocent Innocentia
Precious Patience (sometimes for a boy)
Venantius Gaobotse
Brendan Charmaine
Sonyboy Sara
Gift (sometimes for a girl) Melody
Zenedane Christofine
Ueripurua Marina
Brencious Magrietha
Sylvanus Anitha
Herman Emma
Kanime Fatima
Mathias Emerensia
Kennedy Katrina
Ismael Annastasia
Hendrik Martha
It is certainly a mix of names which are common (or at least heard of) in the States as well as those which are not. (Some of the former have a slightly different pronunciation, however.)
Now these are the names we call some of our learners. However, this may not be the name the child is called by their parents, friends, or others. We know them by their “school names,” which are oftentimes preferred to some of their birth names which are difficult for teachers to pronounce who are from a different tribe and who speak a different “home language.”
In general, it seems like Namibians are used to being called by several formal names and nicknames. (Common nicknames include “Beckham,” “Beyonce,” etc.) And spelling also does not seem to be stressed as a learner’s name may be spelled one way on one class list and a different way on another.
Whew! I wouldn't even know how to pronounce half of them! I think the choice of nicknames is interesting. I have a friend in China who teaches English, and the names her college students choose as their English names are often very funny. : ) I wonder if in some cases they just like the sound of the word.
ReplyDeleteHow many nicknames have you accumulated? ; P