The PositiveNaija Interviews (What Is And Why Your Name?): Episode 7 – Onah Onyowo Lucy and Desmond Olayeni Enydator Okunware is a series of interviews with the human race including Nigerians and Africans on recognising and understanding the meaning, purpose, importance/value, impact and story of their names.
This series, conceived and conducted by Toju Micheal Ogbe is dedicated to the lives of every human being with the hope that more understanding is provided on the subject of our names, which are the words everyone of us hears the most through our lifetime containing unique identity features.
Special thanks to people who have shared their stories and unique insights with us as well as with the world.
“Proper names are poetry in the raw. Like all poetry, they are untranslatable.”
– W. H. Auden
Onah Onyowo Lucy SHARES Her STORY, EXPERIENCES, THOUGHTS AND INSIGHTS ON THE MEANING AND VALUE OF HIS NAME WITH POSITIVENAIJA ON August 29, 2023
PositiveNaija: Please, what is your name in full?
Onah Onyowo Lucy: My name is Onah Onyowo Lucy. Then, if you add ‘Grace’ to it, Grace is my confirmation name.
PositiveNaija: What is your nationality and city you are from?
Onah Onyowo Lucy: Nigerian (Ohimini local government area of Benue state)
PositiveNaija: What decade were you born?
Onah Onyowo Lucy: I was born in the 1990s.
PositiveNaija: Who named you your name(s)?
Onah Onyowo Lucy: My parents.
PositiveNaija: What is the translation or meaning of your traditional name(s) in English?
Onah Onyowo Lucy: The meaning of my traditional name Onyowo is ‘Destined Wife’ while Lucy means ‘Light bearer’.
PositiveNaija: Why were you named your name(s) – the reason or story?
Onah Onyowo Lucy: It started with the process of how my mum was married. So before my mum got married, will I say, she did the first marriage in the sense that bride price was already paid but she did not go to the house of the person because she was uncertain. Even if bride price has been paid, this peace was not there. So she told her father that she does not want to marry the person anymore due to some things she has seen and let the bride price be returned and they did after a lot of issues – they did. Then my dad came; she did not even see him until they told her that someone came like that and she just had peace in her heart like that concerning the person and she had not seen the person yet.
PositiveNaija: Did this happen in the same period the bride price was returned or afterwards?
Onah Onyowo Lucy: After the bride price was returned. There was just this peace in her heart and when she finally saw him, they just flowed.
Then on the part of my dad, I also have another name called “Ogborga’tihi”; – it is like a proverb and it means ‘visitor is rejecting yam’ in the sense that you come for visitation and you are invited and even when it is entering your eye, but the visitor will say ‘oh don’t worry’. (Laughs)
So why they said that is because my dad loves children so much till now and there is no child that comes across him that would also not want to come to him. So they say to him, you love children so much – do and get married.
So that is the combination regarding the story of how my name came about.
PositiveNaija: Did you give yourself a name – officially or unofficially? If yes, why and what does it mean?
Onah Onyowo Lucy: I gave myself the name Grace (mercy of God). It is a spiritual name. It was time for it in the Catholic church for confirmation and I was asking God what should be the name and I was thinking a whole lot of names and then the name ‘Amarachi’ (the Grace of God) came in from within and it kept on being repeated. So that was basically it.
My baptismal name is Lucy.
So the name Grace is the one I personally gave myself.
PositiveNaija: Culturally and/or spiritually, do you see or perceive a significance or impact of your name based on the result of your life so far?
Onah Onyowo Lucy: Culturally and spiritually, yes.
Naturally even my lifestyle, people that come across me, people that has had one or two things to do with me, they prefer to call me by my name ‘Onyowo’ even when they do not know the meaning of the name but once they get so used to me, they dump ‘Lucy’ and call me ‘Onyowo’ most times.
Sometimes, some could be curious after a while and ask me what is the meaning of this your name ‘Onyowo’ and I would laugh and sometimes I don’t like telling them because of how controversial the meaning is and some persons think I forged the meaning. I just think it is because it is unique and has more authority.
So, spiritually, yes, it also helps define me. When I have to make some decisions, I have to remember my name, where I am coming from, what my name is, what I represent, who I represent, – my name always guides me. When I go through some challenges, I go look in the mirror and remind myself of who I am and why I am that.
PositiveNaija: The meaning of your name appears to be quite narrow “Destined wife’ and when you look at yourself in the mirror, trying to remind yourself of you are and perhaps you are trying to figure out something, for you personally apart rom the literal meaning of the name, what does this speak to you on or is it a case of you are the one to finish the story – even though the story apparently appears to have been successfully completed or more precisely, what is the expected end of the name (Laughs)?
Onah Onyowo Lucy: Okay. I am the first daughter.
And most times, the name reminds me that I am for somebody and I am meant for a particular person marriage-wise. I believe everyone is not meant for everyone. There is a particular person that God designed for you (when He was creating you, there was a particular person assigned for you). If such particular person for some reasons fails to connect, God has a way of going about it to get you someone suitable but originally, there is a particular person.
PositiveNaija: Do you think your name has an impact on the lives of people or anyone who calls your name and why?
Onah Onyowo Lucy: Yes, it does.
The name Lucy means ‘light bearer’. When people come to me with some challenges, I am just this person that won’t rest till that your problem is solved. I have also had revelations of saving people and encouraging people. Physically too, people can just walk up to me with certain things and even while I have mine, I put mind down (not wanting to be a burden) and take up yours. I like to look for solutions and brainstorm. I will be restless if I see that you have an issue till you get out of that mess/situation. So, it touches everything.
PositiveNaija: What do you want your name to be remembered for?
Onah Onyowo Lucy: I want my name to be remembered for being a person of hope – keeping faith alive.
PositiveNaija: Any other insights or experiences you might want to share on the subject/importance of names?
Onah Onyowo Lucy: Yes. Names are spiritual in the sense that they are prophecies. Then the Bible says ‘there is power in the tongue’ and the Bible also says that ‘a good name is better than silver, gold, riches’. Before doing anything, you should remember where you are coming from – your roots because it if it is not good and it touches your name, it can be terrible.
Name is a root – if you do anything positive or negative, it will affect your children.
And if you have a bad or negative name, please change it. Name is a command – you are commanding something in the air and there are elemental forces in the air; you may not know than angels that . So even if someone is answering a negative/bad name, we would not know what is happening indoors or the spiritual effect of what is happening – such person may be rising in ranks but you won’t know what is dying on the inside.
Names are powerful. If you are doing something, remember your name. A good name boosts your confidence and it also opens doors (character). Remind yourself who you are but be careful that pride does not come in.
For me, when I give birth to my children, they would not be named after someone else because even if you love such person so much, by naming your child after the person, is a transfer or energy/spirit and a lot is unknown about people. So for my children’s official names, we would pray about it and receive revelations, which would guide the development of the child/children.
Desmond Olayeni Enydator Okunware SHARES HIS STORY, EXPERIENCES, THOUGHTS AND INSIGHTS ON THE MEANING AND VALUE OF HIS NAME WITH POSITIVENAIJA ON August 29, 2023
PositiveNaija: Please, what is your name in full?
Desmond Olayeni Enydator Okunware: My name is Desmond Olayeni Enydator Okunware.
PositiveNaija: What is your nationality and city you are from?
Desmond Olayeni Enydator Okunware: Nigerian (Benin city)
PositiveNaija: What decade were you born?
Desmond Olayeni Enydator Okunware: In the 1980s.
PositiveNaija: Who named you your name(s)?
Desmond Olayeni Enydator Okunware: Based on what I understand of how my people are; your father will give you one, your mother will give you one, the grandmother, the grandfather will give you each, your elder siblings will give you some, family members that love you, etc. as a matter of fact, me being the only boy of the family and the last born, I can say I have more than (twelve) names. I bear Eric too – it is one of my family names (named by my uncle) same thing with Desmond; I bear Bola too. My Christian name is Aaron. (Laughs)
PositiveNaija: What is the translation or meaning of your traditional name(s) in English?
Desmond Olayeni Enydator Okunware: My name is combined from both the Yoruba and the Bini.
Let me start with the Yoruba (Olayeni) – Ola means ‘wealth’; Olayeni means ‘we deserve wealth’. Enydator means ‘crown on wealth’ – when you have crown, you are meant to have wealth. Okunware, which is my surname means ‘royalty’.
PositiveNaija: Why were you named your name(s) – the reason or story?
Desmond Olayeni Enydator Okunware: The little understanding I can say is that I want to believe there is a vision to why they give me that – probably they know this is the person that will bring breakthrough of wealth to the family, which I want to believe so because ther is some tings I have noticed in the way my family communicate with me that gives me the assurance that as a matter of fact, young man you will be so wealthy. There is a covenant attached to when giving me all those names. The little understanding I have is that from where I come from, they may not be 100% wealthy but they are well to do. Me being from a royal hone, the current Oba of Benin is my direct cousin and in Africa today, the Oba of Benin is one of the strongest kings not just in Nigeria but Africa. So that is what I understand on why they give those names to me.
So the names are a description of where I am from and what I am covenanted to be.
PositiveNaija: Did you give yourself a name – officially or unofficially? If yes, why and what does it mean?
Desmond Olayeni Enydator Okunware: My Christian baptismal name Aaron, I gave myself. Aaron, I saw his character in the Bible and I really picked interest in it. Despite Moses was destined to get to the promise land but because of his temperament, he could not get there. Aaron however got there. So, it struck me that it means God can actually change a plan for someone if the person destined didn’t make the plan materialize. Aaron is also a strong leader. So, when I look at the trajectory of my life, I have always been a leader right from being a child in primary school. Bring the senior prefect boy is primary school, JSS 3 being a time keeper, senior prefect in secondary school from SS1 which was a break of protocol considering that such a post is given to someone when in SS2 third term. Same thing university days despite I did not pick interest or go for in it – Student Representative Council (SRC) at SUG level but people said to me that this is the guy we want. I was home when someone came to me and asked what is your name and I told him and he said you will be our Governor and that was how he went and started campaigns and I became the Governor.
So I saw this trait in Aaron and said this guy is born to be a leader and God actually changed protocol for him. So I knew this was not a coincidence. I have had the name Aaron for over a decade now – I was done with university.
Every leader is an ambitious person.
PositiveNaija: Culturally and/or spiritually, do you see or perceive a significance or impact of your name based on the result of your life so far?
Desmond Olayeni Enydator Okunware: Culturally and spiritually, yes.
Culturally, talking about my name from a royal lineage, there is this designated respect and decorum, which reflects on me even around those older than me.
Spiritually, there is also a way things just work around me.
PositiveNaija: Do you think your name has an impact on the lives of people or anyone who calls your name and why?
Desmond Olayeni Enydator Okunware: I would say yes. Let me use those a little close to or around me. For such persons the moment they get involved with me, there is a way things just move for them (positively). I have seen someone who wanted to get a fil equipment. Normally, this equipment costs 30 million Naira but when he mentioned me to someone who knew me also, this person got almost a 20% discount. So many more examples of such of how my name opens doors for people even including my fiancée who got a job through my name.
PositiveNaija: What do you want your name to be remembered for?
Desmond Olayeni Enydator Okunware: That’s a big question. I want people to remember my name as one of the greatest humanitarian. I always pick humanity over religion. I always want peace for every religion because I believe when we pick humanity over religion, there won’t be violence, there will be unity just like in our Nigerian coat of arms which proscribes peace, love and unity, will become a reality. With humanity, people will be prosperous, with humanity there will be peace, there won’t be unnecessary killings but when there is humanity, everything works for good. My name and humanity, I want it side by side.
PositiveNaija: Any other insights or experiences you might want to share on the subject/importance of names?
Desmond Olayeni Enydator Okunware: What I will say is that some people have positive names but the name is not even working for them meanwhile some people have negative name and the name is working for them. What I will just say is that people should never allow their names to define who they are both negative and positive. I believe we are what we are by being what we know how to do best. I have seen someone who answers ‘death is wicked’ and he doing very well and likewise I have seen someone bearing a good name but the person hardly feeds.
I want to talk to the youth and love talking to them directly because I am a youth – the government will not come for any one of us. We have to bounce back and achieve our goals.
I value my name more than my personality and will not fumble to stain my name.
PositiveNaija: But do you think if someone is answering a negative name there is a need for the person to change it?
Desmond Olayeni Enydator Okunware: Yes, they should if there is a leading in their spirit. There is some breakthrough that won’t come until certain things including name is changed but I have seen people too that received breakthrough with their name. And sometimes, it is about people that give you the name and even how you were given birth to.
However, one has to be careful when changing names because some names (family) cannot be changed. For instance, my family name (Okunware) is not just a surname, it is a title.
Research Credits
*Conceived, conducted, written/edited and poster designed by: Toju Micheal Ogbe.
*Inspired by: The PositiveNaija Interview Series (Advice of Nigerian Mothers) and Joshua Selman message (Redefining Inheritance)
*The Interview Series is open for/to suggestion, donation, sponsorship, collaboration or partnership.
*If you enjoyed these stories or have more questions/observations, please comment on this post below or message us on WhatsApp. Thank you.
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