The African Book of Names: 5,000+ Common and Uncommon Names from the African Continent [Paperback]

Askhari Johnson Hodari (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 5, 2009

From an author who adopted an African name as an adult, comes the most all-inclusive book of African names.

The African Book of Names: 5,000+ Common and Uncommon Names from the African Continent offers readers names organized by theme from 37 countries and at least 70 different ethnolinguistic groups. Destined to become a classic keepsake, The African Book of Names shares in depth insight about the spiritual, social, and political importance of names from Angola to Zimbabwe. The most far-reaching book on the subject, this timely, informative resource guide vibrates with the culture of Africa and encourages Blacks across the world to affirm their African origins by selecting African names. In addition to thousands of names from north, south, east, central and west Africa, the book shares:

• A checklist of dos and don'ts to consider when choosing a name

• A guide to conducting your own African-centered naming ceremony

• A 200-year naming calendar

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Askhari Johnson Hodari has put together an invaluable resource book. . . . Inspiring and informative, it is a fascinating glimpse into an important part of African cultural traditions.'

--Pearl Cleage, author of What Looks Like Crazy On An Ordinary Day

(Pearl Cleage )

About the Author

Askhari Johnson Hodari, Ph.D., a practitioner of Black/Africana Studies, regularly studies and travels the African diaspora. Hodari received her bachelor of arts degree from Spelman College and her doctorate from Howard University. She is the coauthor of Lifelines: The Black Book of Proverbs (Broadway Books, October 2009); and the author of the Black Facts Calendars. Hodari makes her home in Birmingham, Alabama, one of the birthplaces of the Civil Rights Movement.

For more information about The African Book of Names, or the author please direct your browser to: www.africanbookofnames.com.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 343 pages
• Publisher: HCI; 1 edition (January 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0757307795
• ISBN-13: 978-0757307799
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #727,360 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Askhari Johnson Hodari, Ph.D., a Black Studies practitioner, received degrees from Spelman College and Howard University. Although she frequently visits countries in Africa, the Americas, and the Caribbean, Hodari makes her home in Birmingham, Alabama, a home of the civil and human-rights movements.

Askhari Johnson Hodari, Ph.D.
drhodari.com | africanbookofnames.com | LifelinesProverbs.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/TheAfricanBookofNames|Facebook.com/LifelinesTheBlackBookOfProverbs
Twitter: @DailyLifelines | @AfrikanNames
Visit www.eyeeditonline.com for your editorial needs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring Work of Names, April 22, 2009

By 

Wilhelmina Moore (Birmingham, AL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The African Book of Names: 5,000+ Common and Uncommon Names from the African Continent (Paperback)

This book presents more than pages filled with names and their meanings. It's a part of the lesson about African Americans' history and heritage that has been lost due to oppression and separation of over 400 years. I have read the book, front to back, and it is absolutely inspiring. The research provided has an intrinsic value to the African Diaspora. This book could also be used to become culturally aware of Africans and African Americans' uniqueness.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An invaluable resource for fiction writers, June 30, 2009

By 

Anne Mini (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The African Book of Names: 5,000+ Common and Uncommon Names from the African Continent (Paperback)

A lot of writers use baby name books to help them find interesting and meaningful monikers for their characters, but this one belongs on the desk of any writer even considering including African or African-American characters in her work. It is quite simply the best-organized one I've ever encountered -- and believe me, I've thumbed through a lot of them.

Or, to put it another way: when's the last time any of us saw a baby name book that was actually interesting enough to sit down and READ cover to cover?

What makes it so much better than most? THE AFRICAN BOOK OF NAMES is so intelligently put together, treating both the reader and the subject matter with respect. Unlike the vast majority of baby name books out there, it's not just a straightforward list of names and meanings -- which, let's face it, is fairly readily available on the Internet, if you're looking for only common names -- but a thoughtfully-constructed examination of the significance of naming in various African and African-American cultures.

Yes, there are indeed lists, but such lists! Arranged by categories of meaning, the names are also presented by region of origin and circumstance under which a particular name might be applied. And we're not just talking about names that translate as Daisy or Strong One here -- names like the Azanian Nothango (one who forms a buffer against the enemy), the Ugandan Nangila (born while the parents were traveling around), and the Camaroonian Akam Bowho (one who does not have a problem) abound in this book.

This is a powerful resource for writers, in short; I highly recommend it. You'll never run out of fascinating name choices.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book of its Kind!!!, April 22, 2009

By 

Akinyele K. Umoja (Atlanta, GA, usa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The African Book of Names: 5,000+ Common and Uncommon Names from the African Continent (Paperback)

Askhari Johnson's The African Book of Names addresses the complexity and cultural sensitivity of descendants of enslaved Afrikans in the western hemisphere who are in process of re-discovering our ancestral heritage. Since the 1960, African descendants have renamed ourselves or given our children Afrikan designations. Johnson's work is a tremendous resource as it not only provides names but offers context for such decisions. Her book will contribute to reconnection and community-building throughout the Afrikan World.

For the last thirty years I have performed New Afrikan naming ceremonies for new borns, students and comrades choosing to adopt Afrikan names. Johnson's text is the best source in print that I have seen.