Our names is our identity. Names tell where we come from, who our family members and unfortunately which slave plantation we belonged to. Do you know what your name mean or the story it tells ? It is important to me that my children know where they come from, so I had no problem with them having their Ghanaian names be on their birth certificate. I even asked my husband if their traditional names can be their first names. I want my children to be confident with their names and African culture despite what the world may say. The information their names hold is pretty amazing and is a great conversation topic to educate others.
Over this past weekend we dedicated our daughter to the Lord and officially announced her name to our family and friends. It was a very proud mommy moment. The charge God gives us as parents, is a charge I don’t take lightly.
The Dedication
Before our declarations. Our pastor also performed the naming ceremony. A naming ceremony is when the childs’ name is officially announced to family and friends. It differs from culture and religion. My son, Amartei had a very traditional grand Ga naming ceremony, which I will explain in another post. Due to the pandemic and not being able to see family members we decided to have our daughter’s at the church.
The pastor presented four elements to our daughter:
- Honey: wisdom, sweetness and the Word of God
- Salt: Preservation of her Life
- Water: Life and the Word of God
- Communion: the Body of Christ and the Blood of Jesus
After she tasted these elements, a prayer was said and her name was announced.
What Does Your Child’s Name Mean ?
My daughter’s name is Naa Ahinee (middle name). It’s pronounced (NAHH- AH-EENAÈ) In the Ghanaian language of Ga, which my husband is from, it means ‘ First daughter of the mother ’.
When I first met my husband he explained to me how the Ga people name their children and from their name you can tell which sibling he/she is and the clan they are associated with. Therefore, My daughter’s name will tell you her father is a Ga man, she is her mother’s first daughter and the clan she is associated with.
For example, my husband’s name is Nii Armah, one can infer that he is a Ga man, the first son of his father and he is associated with the ‘Amartsewei ‘ clan of Ghana, just by the spelling of his name. Interestingly, it is said that the Ga people are descendant of the Israelites.
Although Naa Ahinee is our second child. Naa means Queen. She is the mother of the family. Her say is pretty much the final say. She actually has more control over her brothers. If there is a family meeting, Naa Ahinee’s opinion will be the most valued and respected than others.
I can see this family dynamic amongst my husband and his siblings. Although he is the oldest, he and his brothers value and respect their younger sister’s opinion, she is also Naa Ahinee.
So, I guess it’s safe to say girls rule and first born daughters are the best ! So when my daughter is speaking, put some respect on her name. Okurrrrrrrr !
Here are some links below more about the Ga people of Ghana:
http://www.hebrewigbo.com/ga-dangme-of-ghana.html
http://gadangme.weebly.com/list-of-names-ga-dangmeisraelites.html
https://carleton.ca/africanstudies/wp-content/uploads/Ga-People-and-Homowo-Festival.pdf