While growing up back in the early 2000s, I never witnessed a situation where someone would answer to the name of their direct father as a surname. The surname usually comes from forefathers, like great and grandfathers. For example, my surname comes from my great-great-grandfather, as I was told by my father and other members of the family.
We are expected to inherit the name as our surname and pass it on to our children, who would then pass it on to their children, thus keeping the name alive.
However, in modern Nigeria, there are now people who bear their immediate father's name as a surname. What's even more shocking is that they often choose an English name and discard the native name. For instance, a girl whose first name is Blessing and her father's name is Frederick Ayo, where Ayo is a highly valued native name, might start using 'Frederick Blessing' as her name, thus abandoning her father's native name. This can make her seem foreign and difficult to identify as Nigerian.
In my kingdom and in large parts of Nigeria, the inherited surname is what we are easily identified by. Oftentimes, it's what opens doors for a person, especially if their forefathers were well-regarded during their lifetime. Conversely, if the forefathers were known for doing wrong, it can bring bad luck to someone. This is one reason why fathers in this age tend to have their children use their direct name as a surname instead of the inherited name.
I recall a time when I found myself among people from different tribes in Nigeria, and we were introducing ourselves. When it was a particular guy's turn, he stood up and said his name is 'Buhari,' and immediately everyone gave him a disapproving look.
In case you're wondering why, it's because 'Buhari' is associated with our former president, whose tenure brought about hardships, making the name unpleasant due to the negative connotations attached to it.
Why do people change their surnames?
I had a conversation with someone who has his children answering his first name (an English name) in school as their surname. He shared instances and family histories, especially about his great-grandfather, whose name was being used as their original surname.
According to him, he changed his children's surname from the original one they had been bearing to his first name because the original surname was believed to bring bad luck and had many spiritual implications that he didn't want to pass on to his children. It was surprising and convincing to hear that from him.
As for me, I am deeply rooted in my culture and simple traditions of the land, and I don't see myself, for any reason (for now), changing my surname to that of my father's or changing my children's surname (when they come) to my first name. No way!
Thanks!
This is for day 3 of #Aprilinleo prompt.
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