Attitudes Towards Traditional Personal Names Among the Bamanan Community in Buguni

Özet

This work investigates attitudes towards traditional personal names within the Bamanan community. It specifically focuses on perceptions, preferences, and the cultural significance related to those traditional names. Naming practices among Bamanan people are carried out on the basis of ritual procedures that can determine the genealogical, social, and ethnic belonging, as well as the gender of the name bearer. In this context, naming is not merely the selection of a word but serves as a symbolic transmission of cultural identity. Traditional names are often embedded with meanings linked to the collective memory of the community and are closely tied to values passed down through generations. The type of research employed in this present study is a mixed method, combining both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data were collected using structured interviews and focus group discussions among Bamanan people living in Buguni. The sample was chosen using purposive sampling technique, and the participants were divided into three categories: name bearers, non-name bearers, and name givers. The findings show that personal names in the Bamanan community are not given to newborns randomly. Instead, different social, religious, and cultural trends are considered. Furthermore, the findings highlight a predominantly positive attitude toward traditional names and the interplay between tradition and modernity in name selection. Naming is revealed as a socially meaningful practice.