Chidike - God is Strong

Photo credit: Dreamtime.com

I’ve had meaningful conversations with different people about their names and this is my last post on this topic. Coincidentally there’s a trend on social media where people show what their names mean. It feels good to know that more people are becoming aware of the importance of a name. 

Some love their names while some hate theirs and a few bold ones have gone an extra mile to change their names. Someone I spoke changed her family name to something else because she believed that her father's name brought her more harm than good spiritually. 

Who will think that Emily means “envious” or “rival” and Kennedy, “mishappen head” whatever that means. Ndidi is an Igbo name that means “patience” which is meant to be something positive but some have gone ahead to reject the name saying it made them wait patiently for the good things for a very long time. 

Lanre is a Yoruba name that connotes that wealth is coming, the full name “Olanrewaju literally means, “my wealth is the future.” The surprising discovery for me about this name is that it is given mainly to the female child yet all the people I know who bear the name are guys. If you have not yet done so, please do a research on your name and make your name work for you. 

I’ll close with an interesting piece a reader wrote about his name. 

“I grew up being very proud of my name because for so many years I hadn't come across anyone bearing CHIDIKE. So it made me feel really special(it still does🙃).

My Father told me (always) that my birth brought about the beginning of good things in the family; I came in as number five of six children. From my understanding it's been my father naming their children but when it came to me, my mother asked to be allowed to name me, and she called me CHIDIKE.

Well, I always relish the opportunity to lecture and enlighten anyone who inadvertently assume what and how my name is called. 

So my name is CHIDIKE - God is strong;

Not Chibuike - God is strength

Not Chidi - There is God(according to Dame P)

Not Chudike - don't know what that means

Not Chidika - I have no clue

Not Childlike - (according to my Danish penpal in those days).  

For those who venture into short forms, it's pronounced “Dììke” - is strong

Not Dike - strong/powerful man....and so on.

The truth is there's no version I've not heard but the fact remains that the source and uniqueness of my name have always guided me.” - written by Chidike Iheukwumere