Some of you may have heard Rwandan names before like Hakizimana, Kwizera, Shyaka or Benegusenga. The origin of their names are mainly religious based due to the fact that 95% of the population are Christians. However they differ from many countries because the last name is not the same for all family members. Each person has a full name uniquely chosen but their parents.
Here are ten examples of Rwandan names: Niyibizi, Niyitugize, Niyibikora, Niyonkuru, Niyoyaturemye, Niyindereye, Niyitegeka, Niyibigira, Niyigena, Niyibaruta, Niyitanga, etc. You can easily see the prefix, NIYI-. The prefix means “God”, and the additional part depends on the parents, how the children were born and when.
Commonly the other part glorifies God through his names and actions; the provider, the creator of all things, the King of Kings and many more. However, these days, some parents have started to name the children some of the western names due to the influence of western culture.
The last names continue to be names that depend on religious beliefs or heritage. For example, a parent would name their children, Musinga or Yuhi, which were the loyal names in the ancient kingdom of Rwanda. They mean victory and conquer. But the first names could be the western names like Erick, Dan, Andrew, Maurice, etc.
By: Patrick Niyitugize