Have you ever asked your parents why they named you the way they did? Maybe they chose a name from the Bible. Maybe they named you after a famous person or a cherished friend or family member. Maybe they just liked the sound of the name. Some names have special meanings. The meaning of my name, Ulrike, is “rich heiress.”

Here in Benin, people usually have several names. There is of course the last name, which indicates your family. And then most people have at least two first names. They have a French first name, which is used in schools, offices, etc. This name might have been chosen by the midwife or some educated friend. Much more important is the name in the local language, which is used by the family. This name is chosen by the father or an older respected family member, like a grandma. And this name always has a meaning. Some meanings are positive, but others aren’t. Some names refer to the time or situation in which the person was born. If you are born on market day, you might be named Katepe (“the market’s wife”) or Katetchoro (“the market’s husband”). If you are born as the third or fourth daughter in a row, when everybody was hoping for a boy, you might ironically be named Kabataka, which means “it’s not bitter.” One boy in our neighborhood was so tiny when he was born that they named him Memehu (“ant”). His older brother’s name is Sourou, which means “I’m sorry.” How is that for a name! If you have a difficult birth, but God protected your mom during the pregnancy, you might be called Wendekpe (God is great). If you are born in a happy family, you might be named Bodarima (“life is good”). That sounds much better than Sourou, doesn’t it!

No matter what your name is on this earth, whether it has a special meaning or not, when Jesus comes to take us home, He will give us a new name. I’m sure it will have a very special meaning, and it will be beautiful!

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