Very few people know my second name and I like to keep it that way. Call it attachment but it’s more than that. My second name is more  like my favourite newly acquired wedged heels. Only a few have seen me in then and only a few will. I won’t let a layer of dust settle in but neither will i let a tear from wear. I’ll wear them on  special occasions, maybe your wedding or my best friend’s baby shower or even on my graduation day, but never to run an errand in the market. They are special and close to my heart.

According to African customs, the second name is not only a name but a heritage, an inheritance of a kind. When a child is born, on thing is certain, their name.
The  other day, I met with my primary school classmate and a few minutes into the conversation, she mentioned she had to go check on her 6 month old daughter. “Sharnice,” she said.” Can’t stay far from her mum.” With that she left.

Sharnice Rose is her name. What a name!

You might miss the uniqueness of the name if your class is not filled with Mary, Jane, Mercy and Joy. Don’t get me wrong, but some names have stood the test of time and I’d definitely name my first born daughter Joy but not without a touch of dichotomy. Not without a second name.

Second names are no longer tongue twisting African rich names.
They are short, easy on the tongue and definitely not as African as my grandfather would wish.

“Ati huyu mtoto hana jina ya huku kwetu, ya wazungu tu...” is what he says everytime he has to learn to pronounce the name Basyl and not say Basin. Displeased, he opts for the casual “Weeeh! Mtoto wa nani“

According to the African customs, the grandma’s favourite neighbor has to be named after because they once rescued her goats after getting stuck in the fence. Naming is a sign of appreciation, a sign of prestige. The other day, I visited my paternal grand ma , after whom I am named, and boy I kid you not, everyone who bothered to listen knew we shared a name and I am a doctor.  Well, I am still in med school, but to her that’s unnecessary delays what matters is the eventuality.
Keen to find the source, I partly listened as she started a list of what I assume was the lineage of the great beholders of my second name, our name. Pride was evident as she went on and on about the great things they did. At this point I couldn’t help but feel guilty for being too lazy a being to have only gained weight in this quarantine months and not even feed a single freedom fighter or dress the wounds of an injured one. What a shame!

A second name comes with an unwritten responsibility. An obligation to make it’s former proud, it’s current great and it’s next even greater. There is something about the second name that gives a sense of belonging. When someone introduces themselves sans their English name, I feel obliged to listen; to not only the words of their mouths but also the actions of their heart. I can easily relate to what they say and am more likely to defend them.
I’ll definitely give my children an African second name, to remind them that they have to be great and also not to disappoint their grandfather who can’t wait to have my son named after him.

Your second name has a meaning, maybe a weather condition, a place, an animal like me or maybe even a virtue or a vice, a mood, a politician. The list is endless. All given for a reason, a name is your heritage, your pride and definitely your image.

My second name means a stripped donkey, they must have meant a zebra. The pretty looking zebras with such an enticing bum. Maybe my great great great grandmother was born next to one, or maybe her father just loved wildlife that he named his kids after his favourite. Who knows! I can’t wait to introduce myself in the UN general assembly and have everyone try to pronounce it.

What’s does your second name mean?

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Hello my royal highnesses
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With Love🧡💛
Faith who is named after a stripped donkey with a pretty bum.🤣