Edhina Ekogidho – Names as Links

This study analyses the changes in the personal naming system of the Ambo people in Namibia over the past 120 years, starting with year 1883, when the first Ambos received biblical and European names at baptism. The central factors in this process were the German and South African colonisation and European missionary work on the one hand, and the rise of African nationalism on the other hand. Eventually, this clash between African and European naming practices led to a new and dynamic naming system which includes elements of both African and European origin.