For someone given just two names at birth, having multiple names at this age seems quite surprising. My friend came to visit yesterday and told my mum he needs to see "Valour" urgently. My mum directed him to where I was and after we talked and he left, my mum called me and with a smile asked me when she named me valour, for that's what everyone who came visiting calls me.
I come from the southwestern part of Nigeria. And it's a norm here to see a Child being given Ten names and above. My siblings all have at least five names each. The reason why most kids do end up with so many names is that both the paternal and maternal grand parents give the child a name. The father gives him/her a name, likewise the mother. Don't be surprised when you see someone with the name cain also bearing Abel. lol
The reason why I wasn't given as many names as my siblings is still unknown to me. Maybe because they were expecting a girl child. But I decided to come as a man. Lol. So I was given Adedamola Gideon ( Adedamola- The crown mixes with wealth. While Gideon is known to you all). I gave myself Valour for one reason or the other and there are some other nicknames I never planned on having.
Funny Moments with the clash of names
I) High school
I attended the same school as my neighbour's children back then. One of her daughters happens to be my classmate. We call her Ajoke at home but in school, she asked everyone to call her "Abigail". It was really hard for me to adapt to this new name. I seldom call her Ajoke instead of Abigail. With time people got to know this.
One day our Yoruba teacher was teaching us the importance of having a Native name and she cited so many examples in her class back when she was in school. She said it hurt her to see people change their names when they get to school. Someone shouted "Like Abigail" and everyone started laughing. The teacher asked him to explain what he meant by that statement and he explained that Abigail is known as Ajoke at home.
Abigail looked at me with accusing eyes and raised her hands. She said, "Gideon has a name we call him at home too". I was shocked because back then i haven't even myself the name Valour. So what could she be saying? "Maybe Damola" (Adedamola). The teacher asked her to tell the class the name I answer to at home and she replied-
"Òkò mi" (my husband)
Everyone started laughing, myself included. And the teacher asked amidst laughter what she meant. She said my mum do call me òkò mi (my husband ) at home. Here to make a child run an errand quickly, parents do praise them or call them one pet name or the other, they call them names just to make them happy and eager. "Òkò mi" was what my mum loved using for us all.
II) Attendance in class
This time I've started answering the name Valour. Even my birth name sounds foreign to me. The lecturer was calling the names of those in class and was marking their names on the attendance. He decided to call first names only. It got to my Number and he shouted "Adedamola". I kept on looking at him. If he had called "Gideon" I would have answered him straight away but even my own name sounded new and unknown to me.
I joined the class in looking around for who bears the name "Adedamola". Suddenly, I noticed all eyes were on me and my brain quickly jolted back to life. I shouted "Sir, I am the one" and everyone laughed to their fill, even the lecturer joined, not knowing the reason the class was laughing.
III) Gideon, Valour, Damola, HappyBoy
This happened about a month or two back ,before we were forced to vacate the hostels. We were having a class and the lecturer was admonishing us to read our books over and over till we understand them fully. He said "Repetition is the king of mastery" that is, when you repeat an event, you become a master at it.
He decided to use someone's name as an example. I knew that was his intention but few people didn't know. He was trying to prove that, everyone in class calls a certain person by a/his name because we've repeatedly called him that. But he made the wrong choice by pointing to me.
He asked me to stand and asked a female friend of mine for my name.
She replied "Valour"
He then asked another. But this person he asked calls me Damola, unlike others. She is quite stubborn and refuses to call me Valour or Gideon.
So she replied "Damola"
He was surprised but tried to hide it. He looked at some ladies talking while the lecture was on and asked one of them for my name.
She replied "Gideon"
At this stage, he couldn't hide his shock again. He shouted "what! How can the same person be answering three different names?". Not one to give up, he pointed to a guy, but the whole class has gotten the hint of what was going on and were laughing.
The guy replied "HappyBoy " he did it intentionally to further confused the man. Everyone started laughing again.
Since then, he started calling me "The boy with many names". I don't know how convenient that is for him, but whenever he says that it reminds us all of the events that birth it.
Side note
Do you also have multiple names?. Is there any situation when you forgot your name?...share the experience with us and let's laugh together 😂
Thanks for reading!🤗💚🤗
In my family, we are 6 siblings, including me, but unlike your many names, my siblings only have one name, the only one who has two names is me. I really enjoyed reading your article, I like to know the culture of other countries. But in the end, we are always alike, in our feelings and emotions. Greetings.