Girl Name of the Week: Zola

The Girl Name of the Week is an African Name keeping in tradition of the past two blog posts. The name is Zola.

First of all, this name is also a Literary Surname, taken by famous French-Italian writer Emile Zola (1840-1902). This form of Zola tends to be feminine despite being a surname originally. However, it is said that this form of Zola does not have a known meaning as it may have been invented as a surname. Emile Zola's father's surname was actually Zolla.  Either way, it has been used occasionally in English-speaking countries since the 19th century.

The version of the name that I'm featuring today is typically female when it is used as a first name, but it is sometimes used on African males as well. It is of Southern African or Zulu origin and it means "quiet or tranquil" in Zulu.

 The name is on record for having been used in the US since 1880. Zola's biggest year was 1924 when 184 baby girls were born. Usage declined after the 20's but it has always been in regular use. In 2012, there were 92 baby girls named Zola, ranking the name at #2075. The name gained some popularity from 2011's 57 births, and the 44 Zola's born in 2010.

It is impossible to know if parents who used the name Zola for a daughter were inspired by the writer or by the Zulu name, or possibly neither! I'd like to know how many of them were inspired by Zola, the adopted African daughter of Derek Shepherd and Meredith Grey on the TV show Grey's Anatomy. She first appeared on TV screens in May 2011, but saw more screen time in fall 2011/spring 2012. Perhaps she helped to boost the usage in 2012! Who knows!

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As for boys named Zola, there have only been 21 boys named Zola in recorded US history. 11 from 1916-1917, and 10 from 1922-1923.  I do not have statistics for the number of boys who are given this name in Africa but I saw a few comments from different people saying that they know of men with this name.

Click here for a list of famous people who either have the surname Zola, or their first name is Zola. Among them is Eddie Murphy and Nicole Mitchell's daughter named Zola Ivy Murphy.

If I wanted to choose a traditionally African name to pair with Zola, I would use Zola Dumisani (which means "give praise" in Zulu) or Zola Mbali (which means "flower" in Zulu).

However, for those of us who like the name but are not African, here are some cute Americanized combos with a French influence:

Zola Camille
Zola Genevieve
Zola Isabelle
Zola Juliette
Zola Madeleine
Zola Simone

What do you think of the name Zola? Would you ever use it? What would you pair with it?

World-Wide Wednesday: African Names

For the third installment of World-Wide Wednesday, we'll take a look at the naming traditions in Africa.

Featured African Names: Kato & Zola

For most Africans, baby-naming is extremely important. They place a high value on the name choice and its meaning. Many believe that it will have a major influence on the lives of the child and the family as a whole.  There is a delicate balance between giving a child a name that is too ambitious and a simple name that may not yield high enough expectations.

Of course, Africa is a very large continent and it is home to hundreds of different languages and customs. Traditionally, African parents like to give names that reflect the time and day of the birth, the environment in which the baby was born or other related circumstances like gender or birth order.

Many African names also reflect the parents hopes, aspirations and dreams for the child, or they may have to do with their fears, their religious beliefs and their own philosophies about life and death. Sometimes these names can provide outsiders with an idea of the culture and events surrounding the time of their birth.

Northern Africa sees a lot of Muslim names being used since many are Muslim. In Central and Southern Africa, there is a bit of European influence on names since many in that region are partially Christian and may speak French, English or Portuguese.

In Nigeria, the meaning of names is so important that Nigerians will actually introduce themselves and then explain to people what their name means. Names are viewed as a promise, a vocation and a list of expectations for one's life. Their name IS their identity.

Sometimes, the process of choosing a name is carefully decided upon by not only the parents, but also grandparents and extended family members. Naming a child is so important that it sometimes takes a whole village! When the child is finally born, there is an extensive naming ceremony, sometimes including prayers recited by a religious teacher and animal sacrifices. The reason for the ceremony is to formally give the child the selected names.

Traditionally, the child will receive three names, one from the parents, and two from the maternal and paternal grandparents. In some places, the first name is the personal name, the second is their praise name that reflects the hopes for the child's life, and the third name ties in the family and community.

With such high expectations put on a child through their name, the parents tend to use that against them when they misbehave. African Proverbs are used to help parents drive home the messages to their children. The name is used to steer the child through life in a positive direction that was carefully chosen before the child was even born.

Examples of names and their meanings:

Abena - "Born on Thursday"
Abeni - We asked for her, and behold, we got her"
Abidemi - "Born during father's absence"
Abioye - "Born into Royalty"
Babirye - "First of twins"
Bongani - "Be grateful"
Bosede - "Born on Sunday"
Chiamaka - "God is Beautiful"
Chidubem - "Guided by God"
Dada -  "Curly hair"
Delu - "The only girl"
Dubaku - "Eleventh born child"
Ebele - "Mercy, Kindness"
Emeka - "Great deeds"
Farai - "Rejoice"
Funanya - "Love"
Gbemisola - "Cary me into wealth"
Hassain - "Handsome"
Idowu - "Born after twins"
Ikenna - "Father's power"
Iniko - "Born during troubled times"
Jelani - "Mighty"
Jurodoe - "faithful"
Katlego - "Success"
Kato - "Second of Twins"
Kirabo - "Gift"
Lerato - "Love"
Lumusi - "Born face down"
Makena - "Happy one"
Melisizwe - "Leader of the nation"
Monifa - "I am lucky"
Ndidi - "Patience"
Nkiruka - "The best is still to come"
Nonye - "Stay with us"
Nosizewe - "Mother of the nation"
Ochieng - "Born when the sun shines"
Olufemi - "God loves me"
Oni  - "Born in sacred bode"
Paki - "Witness"
Rufaro - "Happiness"
Sanaa - "Art"
Sauda - "Dark Complexion"
Simba - "Lion"
Tafari - "He who inspires awe"
Tatenda - "Thank you"
Udo - "Peace"
Wekesa - "Born during harvest"
Xolani - "Peace"
Zola - "Quiet, tranquil
Zuri - "Beautiful"

I've always taken the meanings of names seriously but there are many parents who don't care about it and don't think that the meaning of the child's name will have any impact on their life. Here is an entire continent that says differently. Meanings are our identities, according to African parents.  Which of the above meanings do you like best?

Note: I am not African and have never been to Africa. If I have gotten any information wrong, please let me know so I can correct it.

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Boy Name of the Week: Kato

This week we will be focusing on African Names! I chose a handsome boy name that comes from Uganda.

Kato is a great example of the way African names are used. It means "second of twins" which clearly describes the circumstances at the time of the birth. Perhaps his twin brother would be named Babirye or Isingoma which both mean "first of twins."  I will be discussing African Naming traditions more thoroughly on Wednesday!

Kato is a much different name than the Ancient Roman Cato which is male and means "wise." There is also a feminine Cato which is a diminutive of the Dutch Catharina and an entirely different name than the first two!

This name has occasionally been used in the US since 1914. It was only used for 6 babies between 1928 and 1972. Kato gained more regular usage in 1993 but it is nowhere near the Top 1000.  Last year, there were 26 baby boys given the name which ranks it at #3926.

I'd say that it is not unfamiliar but it is definitely rare!  Somewhat-famous Katos that you may have heard of are most likely not claiming this African meaning and origin. In fact, a couple of the men named Kato use it as a nickname or an alias. It is not their real name, but rather, it is inspired by a fictional character.

There is a Korean-American music producer who goes by Kato, but his real name is Christopher Ju. And perhaps you remember Kato Kaelin who was a [rather untrustworthy] witness in the OJ Simpson murder trial. His real name is Brian Jerard Kaelin. The only reason either of these two men have ever been called Kato is because they are big fans of the character named Kato who was played by Bruce Lee in the TV series "The Green Hornet."

"Wait a minute!" you say. "The character in that show was Asian, not African!"  Yes he was. Kato is also a very common Japanese surname that is comprised of characters meaning "to add/increase" and "wisteria".  I think the majority of people who use Kato today are either inspired by the Green Hornet's sidekick, or they are using a "different spelling" for the aforementioned Cato.

However, I am not featuring those names. The Name of the Week is the African Kato. I chose it because it was the most familiar-sounding African name that I could find, and it probably only sounds familiar because of its usage in Japan and elsewhere. Wasn't there a Cato in the Hunger Games?

Well anyway, what do you think of Kato? Do you know anyone with this name, and if so, what inspired it? Let me know in the comments below!