Nomina Africana Vol. 39 No. 1

The June 2025 issue of Nomina Africana: Journal of African Onomastics (Vol. 39, No. 1) has just been published, offering a rich set of studies at the crossroads of language, identity, history, and culture. All contributions are available in open access, reinforcing the journal’s commitment to making African onomastic research widely accessible.

Highlights of This Issue

• Identity forged through names: Drawing parallels between biblical and amaXhosa naming practices using cultural onomastics
  By Mlamli Diko (pp. 1–13)
  This article compares biblical and amaXhosa naming traditions, showing how cultural onomastics reveals deep parallels between spiritual meaning and identity construction across distinct contexts.

• A socio-onomastic perspective of gendered personal names in Dangme
  By William Dautey (pp. 15–30)
  Focusing on the Dangme-speaking communities of Ghana, this study examines gendered naming patterns, offering insights into how language and culture intersect in shaping social roles and expectations.

• Derivation of given names from ethnonyms, surnames and clan praises: unveiling gendered naming trends in Nguni
  By Gcebile Malaza, Thenjiwe Meyiwa, and Sambulo Ndlovu (pp. 31–40)
  This collaborative work explores the innovative ways Nguni communities derive given names from ethnonyms, surnames, and clan praises—shedding light on gendered dimensions of naming within collective identity traditions.

• “The Devil’s Cataract”: Demonising the Tonga people’s spirituality through colonial naming
  By Vimbai Moreblessing Matiza (pp. 41–48)
  An incisive historical-onomastic analysis of how colonial naming practices in Zimbabwe sought to undermine the Tonga people’s spiritual worldview by labeling sacred spaces in pejorative terms.

Why It Matters

This issue demonstrates the diversity and vitality of African onomastic research. From gendered personal names in Ghana and southern Africa, to spiritual and colonial dimensions of naming, to cross-cultural parallels with biblical traditions, the contributions provide valuable insights into how names shape and reflect identity, power, and cultural continuity.

Nomina Africana continues to be a central platform for scholars of African linguistics, history, and anthropology, and this latest issue strengthens its role as a forum for vibrant discussions on names and naming practices.