ABANYALA BA KAKAMEGA: The story of names and their meanings.

Abanyala ba Kakamega have human names given to a child at birth as a way of  creating an identity to be used by the creator, Were Nasaaye (God of life and fertility). Abanyala could have one person with more than three labels of a name- ethnic group name, season or time or place of birth name or praise name.

Naming was ceremoniously done by raising the child up and dedicating its life to Wele Naasaye. The naming is done in the morning basing on various factors.

Okhukulikha (naming)

a) The concept of feminine and masculine names

Most Abanyala names have feminine and masculine form. In most cases, the feminine name starts with 'Na-' while the masculine ones start with 'Wa-.' Also, there are rare incidences when one name can be used for both a male and female child.

b) List of names common among the Abanyala

The following is a comprehensive list of the major names of Abanyala ba Kakamega and their meaning.

 a) Naming of children basing on a relative who died some time back.

This is the MAIN method of naming among Abanyala. Every child has a name given to it from the living dead. This name is called engulikho. Even if another name is given basing on a different factor, the child has to have engulikho.

Okhukulikha is a process of giving engulikho and not any other name. The choice of engulikho out of a pool of names of dead relative comes through various ways. 

1. Vivid dreams- through a vivid dream from the living dead to the parents or a relative of the baby. 
2. Chicken method- the choice could be done through a naming ceremony where two names presentsa naming dilemma. Two chicken of different colours and of same sex to that of the child are blessed by and elder and thrown on the house roof to ascertain the person to be named. The chicken that comes down first and enters the house is the one whose ancestor will have accepted to be named.
3. Consulting diviners- there are times the child kept on crying or being sick until the right name was given. Here, specific consultants, such as those with a truth-meter called oluengera could be consulted for the accepted name. 
4. Coincidences- a child born during a funeral of a given elder in a family took on the name of the dead if the child was of same sex to the dead. Also, there could exist coincidences in terms of time, place or season of child's birth with the death time, death place or death season of the person it is destined to be named after.
   
5. Use of birthmarks- a child could be born with a birthmark similar to a forefather it is destined to be named after.

Abanyala never named a person who was still alive. In cases of such naming, it was believed that the one who was named was not the living one but whoever the living one was named after. This is because a living person could end up passing on in an abominable death. People who died abominable deaths such as suicide were not named after. Also, it was believed that if one is named while still living, upon death, another calamity involving the one named after him may arise if the person so named gets involved in funeral activities of the namesake. Apart from that, the ancestors could get angry at naming the living yet they exist unnamed.

There are cases where a child could receive two ancestral names from two separate dead relatives. In this case, there was the main name and the other became its maid called omulesi. In such a case, the parents dedicate an animal to the spirit of omulesi. Such animal, if slaughtered or sold before the death of the owner, had to be replaced with another one.

It was also common for a child to receive a name of a dead relative of the opposite sex. For example, a baby girl could get a boy's name. Such cases, though rare, were accepted.

This type of naming, after dead relatives, is what makes specific names to be unique to members of specific clans and those uncled in that clan. For example, the following names are now clan marked as indicated- if they are in another clan, then the root clan is that indicated.

1. Kaula, Munyala, Aonda- Abaengere clan
2. Wafula, Wanimo- Abakwangwachi
3. Maero, Wanakuta, Wachakana- Abayirifuma clan
4. Micha, Namiriri, Ingwe- Abachimba clan
5. Wakoli, Mukwe, Mukhamba- Abasaya clan
6. Mulika, Namanda- Abatabani clan
7. Ngero, Cheng'ole- Abamuchuu (Balako) clan
8. Upande, Otuki, Udoto- Abasia clan

b) Naming a child basing on seasons.

This method of naming did not require invoking ancestral spirits but by simple observation of seasons. Examples of such names are:

1. Siminyu and Nasiminyu- born during severe drought season. Drought season is called esiminyu.
2. Waswa (Waiswa/Namake) and Naswa- born during the season of plenty of white ants that come out during the day. Some were named after the specific white ant such as Nanjunda, Wesechere, Lutawa or Nakauli.
3. Wandawa and Sitawa- labour pains began at time the parent was trapping white ants of the species of endawa.
4. Wesiisi and Nesiisi- labour pain began during season of white ants called esiisi. Also used for exceptionally black boys.
5. Wafula and Nafula- born during rainy season especially in April.
6. Wanyoonyi and Naliaka (Liaka)- born during the time of weeding crops. Enyoonyi are weeds found in crops.
7. Wakwoba (Kwoba) and Nawoba- born during the season when there is plenty of mushrooms. Mushroom is called 'olwoba'
8. Werimo (Erima) and Nerima- born during general time of preparing farms.
9. Wekesa (Ekesa) and Nekesa- born during the general harvesting season. To harvest is 'kesa'
10. Micha and Nakhumwa/ Namukhoma/Nakhumica)- born if labour pains started when the mother was participating in planting. To plant is known as okhumicha
11. Narocho- girl born during short rain seasons of erocho. This was considered to be a female season hence no male name.
12. Osimbo- born during maize flowering time. Maize flower is called osimbo.
13. Nawebere- boy or girl born during the season of harvesting sorghum. Sorghum is called amabere.
14. Namale- boy or girl born during plenty of millet. Millet is called owule
15. Nabalayo- born during the harvesting of 'black grams' called embalayo.
16. Mabeere- child born at a time when most cows calved in the home. Milk is called amabeere.
17. Wakhanu and Nakhanu- born during the season of harvesting plenty of simsim. Simsim is called ekhaanu while cooked ones become enuuni or omutekete.
18. Mang'oli- born during harvesting of plenty of cereals called eng'oli esaacha. This was a male crop- green grams. The female was Nabalayo.
19. Makanda and Namakanda- born during harvesting of plenty of beans. Beans are called amakanda.
20. Mbande and Nambande- girl born during harvesting of plenty of monkey nuts called embande. Embande were said to be female crops hence male version.
21. Namukoma- female born during the funeral ritual of okhukoma.
22. Ofwera- male born during the ritual of okhukoma.
23. Wanyama and Nanyama- born during meat shearing or when there is plenty of meat. Meat is called enyama.
24. Wanjala and Nanjala- born during time of famine. Famine is called enjala.
25. Wasike and Nasike- born during outbreak of locusts called esike.
26. Wakhungu and Nakhungu- when there was an outbreak of army worms called ekhungu.

c) Naming basing on time of birth

The choice was based on the preference of the parents for it was not compulsory to name a child by this method.

1. Wekulo and Nawekulo- born in the evening just after sun set. Due to some reasons, the news about the birth of the child was delivered to the father in the morning.
2. Ngolobe- boy born in evening just before sun set
3. Wawire and Nawire- born at night.
4. Nyongesa- boy or girl born on Saturday
5. Barasa- Boy born on Monday. Common day for Barazas.
6. Sikuku- boy or girl born during major holiday. This was a new addition to old names.
7. Musi- born during the day when sun was almost overhead.
8. Efumbi- boy's name for one born during a misty or foggy day.
9. Nasio- born as the only girl among boys.
10. Khatindiko (Nangekhe/Naututu)- born of very small size.
11. Wechuli - boy's name for one born very early in the morning just before sun rise or when bird were starting to sing.
12. Misanya- girl born in the morning hours between 10 am and 12 pm.

d) Naming basing on events

This was a choice to be made by the parents on whether to name basing on event or another factor. The following are examples of such names:

1. Khaoma- born the time when labour pains began at a time the mother was madding or smearing the house.
2. Chelumuli- born on the day we had a solar eclipse or the sighting of a major comet. 
3. Ong'anyo- born during second burial ceremony.
4. Khaoya- born during outbreak of rinderpest or any strange cattle diseases
5. Lufuyo- born during the commemoration ceremony called okhufuwa.
6. Keya- born during the historical event of KAR
7. Nekunda and Makunda. Conceived in old settlement area but born in new dwelling place after migration.
8. Panyako- born when parent were being forced to fight in world war 'pack and go.'
9. Kilo- born during the famine called Kilo in 1972. Unit of measuring was changed to Kilogram.
10. Nyangweso- born during the famine of Nyangweso in early 1930s.
11. Mkorokoro- born during famine of 1980.
12. Wuchunju- born at a time of locust nymph stage.
13. Machoni for world war veterans' remembrance of orders of 'March on.'

e) Naming basing on place of birth

The parent could also base on place of birth to name a child. Such names included the following.

1. Lusimbo or Namukuchu- born behind the main house (omukuchu) or on the veranda (olusimbo)
2. Wangira and Nangira- born on the path when parent was out for a journey.
3. Namwatikho and Chiatikha- girl and boy born as first upon forceful migration to new lands or split migration.
4. Wandawa or Sitawa- labour pain started when mother was at a place called esitawa. Either a place for drying cereals or for getting white ants called endawa.
5. Mukewa- labour pain started when mother had gone to visit place full of grass for thatching a house.
6. Namachi- labour pain kicked off when the mother had gone to fetch water.
7. Lukhafwa- boy born on grass. Also out of house of a woman after circumcision of a child whose uncles failed to slaughter bull during circumcision ceremony of another of her sons. It was a reminder of the type of grass put in neck in lieu of esikoko.
8. Wanimo or Nasambu- girl born away from home in the farm at a time the farm was bushy after harvesting.

f) Naming basing on an attempt to confuse or cheat the spirit of death

Such name was always thought of before the birth of the baby. These were names given when earlier attempts to prevent juvenile death of boys failed. The names were of bad animals or useless items or courageous things in society meant to keep away or scare the spirit of death. Most of them were for boys.

1. Walwanda (rock), Ekina (stone) or Kamasia (porous rock)- that death shouldn't come since the child is now a rock
2. Mulaa- that death should not move near since the child is like fire from the tree called omulaha
3. Kunani- that the child was an ogre.
4. Kundu- that the child was a big ugly thing
5. Mayende- that death should not befall the child since the child was already maggots.
6. Wanjofu- that death should get scared of the child since he was big elephant
7. Were- that the child is the Creator himself. So death should not take him.
8. Mukhobe- that the child was like mukhobe hence death should spare him
9. Sirindwa- that the child was already a graveyard hence death shouldn't come for it.
10. Kusimba- that the child was as a useless mongoose hence should be spared by death.
11. Sianga- that the child is already a skull.
12. Namunyu- that the child was a hyena
13. Khayongo- that the child is trigger weed hence dead will benefit nothing by taking it.
14. Wangwe- that the child was a leopard
15. Wanyenje- that the child was already from the world of the dead 'esinanyenje' hence no need for death to take him.
16. Wufwisi- that the child was poison from a snake.
17. Wambale- that the child is a cla spirit that controls the waters hence death should not come for a spirit.
18. Malaba- that death should not come for the child is a spirit of all the land.
19. Wafukho- that the child is a mole.
20. Kuloba- that the child is just mere soil.

g) Naming using a nickname of a relative and prominent celebrities who died.

Some people got nicknames which ended up being passed over to their generation during naming. That when the spirit of the dead send dreams  requesting to be named, the spirit usually insisted on the nickname being used. Attempts to use the old normal name were fatal. For example, the following are common names in Bunyala which were originally nicknames. Each clan has a stock of such names.

1. Opiro- this was for a whiteman called W. Hobley. Those known  as Opiro were not originally called so.
2. Karungani- this was an early white soldier Ewart S. Grogan. After an elder picking the nickname, it got passed on to the children.
   
3. Chirande- was a soldier of the rank of major during early colonial days called Wilson Grand. Most people took it as a nickname that was passed over.
4. Mirimo- nickname for hardworking person.
5. Mukhiyi and Fulukunyi- Never liked settling at one point.
6. Ongacho- This is common among Abadabani. His original name was Wekulo. He liked joking greatly. His spirit accepts both Wek(g)ulo and Ongacho.
7. Sitawu- Another soldier during colonial time called Sitwell.
8. Kalamu- A solder during colonial time known as Goulgham 
   
9. Simiti-
10. Nandakaywa

h) Naming basing on birth related complications

1. Okumu and Owanga- believed to have been conceived when the mother was not expecting periods (omukumu)
2. Wakwaubi- mother died at child's birth. It means one who fell badly.
3. Siebanda- born after longer gestation period. It means one who hid himself.
4. Pukulyu and Sialakala- born before end of nine months.
5. Sifuna and Nafuna- appears from mother legs first at start of birth. Such children used to bring about their mother's death at birth.
6. Khafumi- boy who came out at birth while facing down.
7. Machio- born to first wife after the husband taking on a second wife due to lack of children in first marriage. 
8. Mutali- born as the only one in a family. From the verb okhu-itala.
9. Muterwa- born as the only boy after others died leaving it alone.
10. Kutondo/Wetondo and Netondo- born with large navel. 
11. Wandera or Walera- born with complication of the umbilical chord wrapped around the child especially around the neck.

i) Naming basing on events at time of birth

1. Khatongole- labour pain started when mother was grinding flour on grinding stone on a village communion stone.
2. Mukhula or Namukhula- born during great flooding. At times Namukhula is based on tribe from the Abatsotso.
3. Masika and Nakalira- boy and girl born during a funeral.
4. Siriminyi and Namenya- labour pains began at the time the mother sat in the sitting room during the circumcision of her son.
5. Masinde- born during the time of circumcision. The time of abasinde. The mother was torn between nursing herself and nursing the initiated son. In this case, herbs were administered in order to have the two stay in one house. They used a type of grass called owukusinde to administer the herbs.
6. Wamalwa- born during beer party
7. Mwangala and Nabangala- born out of compound, 'thrown on path' and picked by a friendly neighbour.
8. Wutola and Namutola- born in home, taken away from mother then 'thrown' within the home and picked by the child's mother. Tola is to pick.
9. Makokha and Nang'unda- born in the home, 'thrown in the home' and picked by member of the same family. Amakokha or eng'unda means dirt.
10. Situma- born after a long wait or desire for boy child. Picked from the symbol of white ants coming out.
11. Wakukha or Siakhoma- born unexpectedly after a long period of no pregnancy or a long time gap between the child the last child born before it.
12. Wesonga/ Songa or Namusonge- one named after the person the father was named after. The child and father shares a name. The father can't shout out his own name in the home and mother cannot keep on shouting name of husband in home. At times Namusonge was for the clan making some parents to call it 'Nasonge'.
13. Moni- boy named when parents believed he is one's only source of hope by the time of birth. One's only eyes.
14. Namubiru- a girl born when the mother-in-law to her mother had also given birth at same time.
15. Wandera- born with umbilical chord wrapped around the baby.

j) Naming related to events surrounding birth of twins

1. Mukhwana- boy or girl who is the first born of the twins
2. Mulongo- boy or girl who is the second born of the twins
3. Sisa- boy or girl child who is born after twins
4. Khamala- boy or girl child born after Sisa
5. Timbiti (Tambiti)- Is the follower of khamala.
6. Khonokha- first child to be born of second set of twins.
7. Abanja- second child to be born of second set of twins
8. Walekhwa- given to the remaining twin when one of the twins dies at an early stage.
9. Balongo- given to father who sires two boys as twins. Short form of 'baba-malongo.'
10. Naukhwana- given to a mother of twins where one of the child is a girl or both are girls.

k) Naming basing on meat meal the mother was given at time of baby's birth

At time of birth, the man had to provide meat by hunting or slaughtering one animal at home. Some men reminded themselves of this type of meat by naming their children after the animal that was the source of the meat.

1. Ng'ombe- husband slaughtered cattle.
2. Mang'eni and Nang'eni- mother ate fish
3. Echachu- for male child whose mother ate a fish called echachu or other species.
4. Wafukho- for males whose mother ate mole's meat.
5. Wambongo- mother ate meat from embongo.
6. Wambusi- mother ate goat's meat.
7. Wamagondi- the sheep's meat was the only one available.
8. Wakhisi- mother ate meat from ekhisi.
9. Nasindu- mother ate any other meat together with quails

l) Old age renaming of Abanyala females due to clans.

Upon getting married, a woman is referred to using the name of her clan. The woman's real name is forced silent. For example, a woman called Nakhanu from Abayirifuma will be called Nambirifuna and not Nakhanu upon getting married.

Upon the death of such woman, if she was to be named after, then the name that was used for the child was that of the  woman's clan and not the woman's real name. For this reason, it is common to find a family with girl child bearing feminine names of other Abanyala clans.

It is believed that once a girl is named after a person from a given clan, then she should never get married to a boy from that clan. For instance, Nasenya named after Nasenya from Abasenya, in any other clan, should never get married to Abasenya.

When such naming is done, the child is praised using clan phrases anss shown in the following examples.

1. Namusia from Abasia who pride in 'Namusia Nakhakhande.'
2. Nandechia from Abalechia
3. Naulindo from Abalindo,
4. Nambengere from Abaengele who pride in 'Nambengere Naukhamba.'
5. Namisoho from Abamisoho who pride in 'abakalanda abecha enjiwo.'
6. Namwende from Abamwende 
7. Nambirifuma or Nambiri from Abairifuma who pride in "Nambirifuma khafumi khafweri.'
8. Namakwangwachi or Kwachi from Abakwangwachi- they pride in 'Kwachi sikulu namunia.'
9. Nasiondo from Abasiondo.
10. Namulanda from Abalanda who pride in 'Namulanda Kumola'
11. Namasaya from Abasaya who pride in 'Namukhe Mukangu Matingo.'
12. Namaaafu from Abaafu who pride in 'Namonja Siviringwe'
13. Namakangala from Abakangala.
14. Namuchuu from Abamuchuu.
15. Namusonge from Abasonge.
16. Nasiloli from Abasiloli,
17. Nasacha from Abasacha who pride in the phrase 'Nandakha musumba.'
18. Nawala from Abawala,
19. Nandechia from Abalechia- 
20. Nekoye from Abakoye who pride in phrase, ' abakoyera tuti.'
21. Natecho from Abatecho who pride in the phrase 'Natecho Nekhonga newunia abanianimbi abasira amala.'
22. Nasenya from Abasenya who pride in 'Nasenya Namuwo Omusimbuchi wa olusambirisi khatuluku wabiirii.'
23. Namwaya from Abamwaya.
24. Namukhubichi from Abakhubichi
25. Namachimba from Abachimba who pride in 'Nanjakhupa mukhasi.'
26. Namikoye from Abakoye
27. Nandechia from Abalechia
28. Naulindo from Abalindo
29. Namulembo from Abamulembo
30. Nasumba from Abasumba
31. Nesuu from Abasuu who pride in 'abateeki'
32. Namuchende from Abachende
33. Nawambisa from Abayisa
34. Nawumo from Abaumo who pride in 'Naumo Nanjalunga'.
35. Nakhuba from Abatabani who pride in 'Nakhuba Mulemo kayirira owaloba enyama katakha engokho.'
36. Namenge from Ababenge who pride in 'Namenge omutira'
37. Namuma from Abauma who pride in 'Namuma Nanguti'
38. Namulinda or Namwingira from Abalindavyoki.
39. Namugi from Abamugi.
40. Nabasakwa from Abasakwa
41. Namukoole or Nanderema from Abamani who prides in the phrase 'Namukoole Nanderema.'
42. Nabaokho from Abaokho
43. ......from Abayaya
44. 
    
45. Women from other non Abanyala tribes were not spared this renaming. For example, Namulunda from Balunda, Namaemba from Abayemba, Nakhoone from Abakhone, Nakhayo from Abakhayo, Namutiru from Bamutiru and Nasamo from Abasamo.