Abstract
Historical research shows that before the English and Dutch arrived in Africa, indigenous people had meaningful and symbolic names in their native languages. However, the apartheid era greatly influenced how Africans expressed their identities, particularly through naming and belonging. Despite the ongoing discussions on decolonization, there are still Africans, especially from South Africa, who choose to give their children English names. This study aims to understand the factors contributing to this trend and its impact on indigenous names, cultures, and languages. The study explores the increasing popularity of English names among the younger generation and its potential impact on the usage of indigenous names as the primary means of identification.
The study also aims to understand if these young individuals comprehend the implications of their naming choices on the development of African languages. Can they be persuaded to reconsider their preferences over time? Can the newer generation, with English names, be encouraged to rethink how their own offspring is named in the future? To gather a thorough understanding of the subject, a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods was used. Young South Africans in Soweto, Gauteng were surveyed and interviewed about their motivations for continuing to name their children in English.
Keywords: Indigenous names; indigenous cultures; English names; language development; language preservation; decolonisation.