Names in southern Africa are both creative and revealing

IF HE IS in a tight spot, says Trouble Kalua, people mention his name, asking, “What do you expect?” Shortly before his birth in Malawi, his father had lost his job as a bus conductor, impoverishing the family. Then the baby nearly died. “This boy is trouble,” his father said. “His name is Trouble.”Across Africa names can have a story behind them. Yewande, for instance, is a Yoruba name meaning “mother has paid me a visit”, given when an older female relative dies just before a girl is born. Kiptanui may hint at a difficult birth for mothers who speak one of the Kalenjin group of languages in Kenya.