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Saturday 10 September 2011

Rwandan names

Naming a child is a very big and important event in Rwandan culture.  Traditionally it happens 6 weeks after the birth of the baby and many guests are invited to attend the ceremony. Food is shared and then everyone, including all the children of all ages, is given an opportunity to suggest a name for the child. It is written in a book and when the parents have pretended to consider everyone's suggestions they announce the name of the baby. Mal and I were thrilled to be involved in this in 2007!

The name given to the child is also very important and well thought out. It will often reflect the desire the parents have for their child or their family, or the situation they found themselves in at the time of the birth.  Most commonly people will have first a Kinyarwanda name and then an English or French name. They use either name when talking or referring to each other. I thought you might be interested to know some of the names of people /children we have met.

First I will tell you some of the English names:


Hallelujah and Amen - these two are twins!
Peace, Joy, Hope, Faith, Happiness, Pray, Goal, Blessing, Shalom, Favour, Alliance, Radiance, Innocent, Epiphany, Emmanuel, Immaculate, Victory, Liberate, Fortunate and Grace.

Some of the Kinyarwanda names, with meanings, are:

Akimana - for God
Cyiza - beautiful
Gisubizo - the answer
Ihimbazwe - glory be to God
Imanishmwe - praise be to God
Iradukunda - God loves us
Iranzi - God knows me
Mutamuliza - never let her be sad
Mutuyimana - I offer her to God
Ngaboyisonga - a courageous soldier
Ruteneshwa - undefeatable
Rabashake - willingness
Umwali - well behaved girl
Uwamwesi - sunshine

And I could go on and on because there are many and they are so very interesting..

People here are also interested to know the meaning of our names because in their culture the meanings are so important. 

What does your name mean?                 Do you know?  

Jane means God is gracious. And I know He is!









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4 comments:

  1. Anonymous29 September 2012 at 08:10

    Hi Jane, thanks so much for posting this! My hubby and I just signed up yesterday to sponsor a child in Rwanda named Mutuyimana and yours was the only site that could give me the meaning of her name. Name meanings are very important to me as well, so this is something I can have in common with her. Thank you very much!

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    1. Jane's Journal29 September 2012 at 10:27

      So pleased this was helpful for you. I hope your sponsorship experience is wonderfully rewarding. Rwandans are very beautiful people. 'Imana' means God in Kinyarwanda, the language of the Rwandans.

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  2. Brenda13 March 2013 at 15:15

    Hi Jane, I am currently knitting teddy bears to sell for the Bible Society's project this year, which is Bibles for Rwanda. You probably knew that already. Anyway, I decided to give each one of them a name so have printed the ones above and I attach them around the neck of the finished teddy with the meaning in English. My project is called 'Bears for Bibles' ! I sell them for $5 (Australian)and so far have made $60! All glory to God!!

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    1. Jane's Journal13 March 2013 at 15:26

      Hi Brenda,that's awesome! Good for you. I know the head of Bible Society in Rwanda - he was the pastor of our church while we were over there. He helped us obtain Bibles for a group of women with HIV/AIDS. Special man.

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