African names: Names from the African continent for children and adults [Unknown Binding]

Julia Stewart (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This book consists of about 1000 names culled from across black Africa, although there is a slight emphasis on Swahili names. It includes not only personal names, but names of towns, lakes, ethnic groups, etc., that are useful in formulating an African name for oneself. Each name is accompanied by information about its pronunciation, origins, and meaning. A general introduction covers African naming practices as well as why and how one might adopt an African name. It may be of interest to a general, as well as African American, audience and is more useful than Molefi Asante's The Book of African Names (African World Pr., 1991), which lists names without giving information about them. Recommended for public libraries.
- Paul H. Thomas, Hoover Inst. Lib., Stanford, Cal.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Julia Stewart has a master's degree in African Studies from Ohio University. She has lived in Africa for many years - Kenya, Eritrea, Rwanda, Angola, and is now living in South Africa in the Hanover home of renowned Victorian-era novelist Olive Schreiner. She is the author of Quotable Africa and Quotable African Women.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Unknown Binding: 171 pages
• Publisher: Carol Pub. Group; Carol Pub. Group ed edition (1996)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0006QIFPU
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars afrika returns for its own!, February 14, 2011

By 

bodyguard - See all my reviews

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This review is from: African Names (Paperback)

This book is a good one for finding a name for your child of afrikan descent!
It has the meanings and origin of the most popular names from the continent!

4.0 out of 5 stars African Names and Africa, December 6, 2009

By 

Jonathan Musere (West Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: African Names (Paperback)

In this volume, Stewart relates African names to famous African personalities that have used such names, and in the process falls short of giving the names of the personalities a thorough examination. In addition, she mentions items like African nations' presidential reigns, independence dates; she touches on some of the history and the geography. This makes the book an excellent reference book for the average reader and the reader who simply to take a peripheral and generalized glance at Africa and African names. The book, more so, incolves brief but symbolizing excerpts about Africa and African names, other than specific and academic content. Stewart, however, displays through the avenue of names, a lot of commendable creativity with presenting to those who are quite ignorant of Africa. The cultural and historical wealth of Africa is generally presented. stewart suggests considerations and ways by which the African descended can take on African names. She offers suggestions as to how some of the long names can be shortened or likened to American names. The suggested bibliography on Africa, in general, is quite extensive. Stewart's sister volume, "1001 African Names," involves much more academic research, including an additional array of African names and a lot more information on Africa. Here, Stewart employs more resources specific to onomastics than she did in her previous book. But with both books, one would beg to defer on a lot of the pronunciations that she links to the names; perhaps a consequence of her limited expertise in African linguistics. The two books function as good handbooks and resource guides on African names, and on Africa in general.

0 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very nice and refreshing, June 13, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: African Names (Paperback)

i liked this very much...it helped me ou