Naming and Names in among the Dagbamba of Northern Ghana

This write-up deals with personal names and naming among the Dagbamba of Northern Ghana. It covers names of both cultures at stake in the area, i.e. traditional indigenous names and Islamic names. The first part takes up the examination of indigenous names whereas the second discusses Muslim names. In contemporary times, some indigenes have evolved a system where they combine both names in naming their babies, possibly in order not to lose touch with their indigenous culture in the midst of the dominant Islamic culture in the area. However, many others still clinch strictly to Islamic names as if the opposite reduces their status as Muslims.